He's covered MSU basketball and football for the better part of 16 years, a dream job for an MSU alum, but now he's leaving for Tennessee. We find out why.

Also: Chris's B&B weekend, a Tinder Update (a date!), and a farewell to Prince.

JOE REXRODE

Being a sportswriter today means wrestling with social media, feeding the interweb machine, managing fans' obsession with college recruiting, and constantly feeling heat from your competition. But covering MSU’s Hall of Fame basketball coach Tom Izzo, and football coach Mark Dantonio isn’t a bad gig. Before packing the car and heading south to be a columnist for the Nashville Tennessean, Joe shares his thoughts on the future of college sports, the newspaper business, the MSU/UM rivalry and the cheesy 70s song he loves most.

Joe’s final blog post for the Detroit Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/joe-rexrode/2016/04/10/hey-joe-top-10-now-final-parting-shots/82876652/

Joe’s first column for The Tennessean:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2016/04/25/columnist-joe-rexrode-hello-nashville/83391568/

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

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“M” loves to be spanked, worships her daddy (literally), AND their shared girlfriend. She is a 20-year old college student who enjoys a nice pinot, long walks on the beach, being tied to the bed, and punishing slaps to the face. Seriously.

The world of BDSM is fascinating, titillating, and perplexing to some people, but M will explain it all for you, because “it’s always been inside her" (her words).

Also: A Tinder Update (finally, good news), it’s "snaining" outside and OJ is found not guilty (again).

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

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He immigrated to the US from Egypt when he was 17. Decades later, with a successful career, a beautiful (younger and white) wife and two gorgeous teenage daughters, he’s just as American as you and apple pie. Yes, the US offers unlimited opportunity for those coming here looking for a better life, but Americans can be cruel, naïve, and let’s face it…dickheads. With a name like USAMA TAWFIK, you’d go by Sam too. And having dark skin and black hair doesn’t mean you’re rocking Islam or spying for the Taliban. Even so, Sam’s take on illegal immigration may surprise you.

Also: Chris did something stupid, college basketball is over (good riddance!) and Wisconsin gives a giant middle finger to the presidential race.

Tweet SAM TAWFIK: twitter.com/samtawfik

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

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Jenny's made a career of helping as many people as possible. As the former head of regional chapters of the YWCA, Head Start, Susan G Komen for the Cure, and the Lakeland Health Foundation, JENNY MINER is a dedicated advocate for women, LGBT, victims of domestic violence, racism, child abuse, and disadvantaged minorities in southwest Michigan. Yeah, but she grew up an upper class white girl in a nice leafy suburb of Grand Rapids. And currently she’s Executive Director of Water Street Glassworks, a nonprofit school for the arts in Benton Harbor. Huh? Fear not, she’ll explain it all for us.

Also this week: Vacation is over and we’re both still coping with Michigan State’s shocking ouster from the NCAA Tournament. March Madness, indeed. Maybe a visit to a Russian bathhouse for a rubdown from a guy named Vasili will help…or attending Easter “Ass Mass.” Kelsch needs all the help he can get since this podcast is now affecting his day job.

JENNY MINER

Jenny serves on Benton Harbor’s Downtown Development Authority, is treasurer of the Twin City Players local theatre group, and was selected to participate in the first nationwide Listen to Your Mother program in 2015 (feel inadequate yet?). She’s also a certified grant writer, a non-profit consultant, a wife, and the mother of two teenage girls.

AND she was able to accomplish all this despite the scars of dating one of us in high school.

Check out:

WATER STREET GLASSWORKS: www.waterstreetglassworks.org

TWIN CITY PLAYERS: www.twincityplayers.org

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER: www.listentoyourmothershow.com

Jenny’s LTYM appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT4H9B-8L_c

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

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A peek into Hef's world. Remember when Playboy published pics of naked women? 51-year old Chicagoan Scott Anderson is a former art director of PLAYBOY magazine. We talk the slow decline of an American icon, debate pubic hair fashion trends, and Scott reveals his favorite all-time centerfold (and it's not Pam or Jenny).

Also this week: A little March Madness, more Trump (Still? WTF), Chris's big trip to California to introduce "her" to his family, which raises a question...how young is too young?

SCOTT ANDERSON

After 16 years of helping Hefner sell sex and skin, Scott and many others were let go in 2013 as the magazine got saggy and wrinkly with age. But then what does a guy do? When you've been to the top of the hill(s), where do you go from there?

Scott is a talented artist, photographer, producer, director, storyteller, actor, marketer, and scientist who is still reinventing himself, everyday. He's got ideas, man. You'll see.

Check him out:

Instagram: ScottyRocks

Twitter: ScottyRock

Website: http://www.thedogandponyshow.tv/

Portfolio: http://5659design.com/

(and if you're so inclined, www.karenmcdougal.com)

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

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Rick Broida, writer of CNET's popular CHEAPSKATE blog, brings daily deals and gadget reviews (Soundscoopz?) to dedicated techno-geeks and bargain hunters. Rick talks tech, the awesomeness (and suckiness) of working at home, and searching for new things to get excited about (other than porn), like TRAPPED IN A ROOM WITH A ZOMBIE.

Also this week: Nancy Reagan and the end of an era of political civility, dignity and class; Calvin Johnson walking away from football, the Detroit Lions, and losing (while he still can); Peyton Manning, retiring at the top after a kick ass career; and winter stepping aside for the drunken green-soaked festival that is St. Patrick's Day.

Check out:

CHEAPSKATE: http://www.cnet.com/cheapskate/

TRAPPED IN A ROOM WITH A ZOMBIE: http://www.escapeplansmichigan.com/

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast - Chris and Chris are two guys in their 40s trying to find some balance and figure shit out.

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"Roy" witnessed a miracle when he was wounded in Vietnam, got his girlfriend pregnant and gave up the child for adoption -- before the age of 19. After two failed marriages, at age 66 and retired, he's finally found happiness and recently started a search for his birth son. Roy's life adventure continues, and he shares it with us on MiddleGround.

Also: Trump again?!, the Erin Andrews lawsuit (did you watch the videos?), and astronaut Scott Kelly's return to Earth (but more importantly, has anyone ever had sex in space?).

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

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The college hook-up culture and dating older men. "Rachel"(not her real name) shares her story of living in Chicago with her wealthy father in early childhood, being trotted out for show at his wild parties, and then being sent to finish high school living with her mother in a small Michigan town. (Culture shock, anyone?) She talks about the sexual expectations that face today's female college students and her desire to date more mature men.

Also this week: We talk Trump (and CK gives us a little of the Donald), Tinder vs. Match (one is definitely more dirtbaggy), The People vs. OJ Simpson (and the ridiculous casting! Nathan Lane? John Travolta?! Really?)and living through that whole OJ trial (WTF).

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast - Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to find some balance and figure shit out.

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In a "historic" debut, Chris & Chris introduce MiddleGround: The Podcast (and one of them admits he's only doing it to meet women. How's that working out so far?)

Their first ever guest is Darryl Kurylo, an LA-based voiceover artist who gave up a potentially brilliant career as a dentist (!) to give Hollywood a shot at age 19. Thirty years later, he's still there and doing just fine, thank you. But would he do it all over again?......

Check out Darryl's credits on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0476117/

His audiobooks available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/h4nogwy

MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance.

Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND!

facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast

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Email us! [email protected]