Mike Safo

• Paying tribute to the GREAT Ron Duguay. He was always so kind every time I texted him or Facetimed him so I could show off that I knew him. Rest Easy # 10.

Joined today by 12 year NHL veteran, former analyst and host of "Up in the Blue Seats" podcast, Ron Duguay. Ron takes us back to the 1977 NHL draft, where he was and how he got the call that he was drafted by the Rangers. He tells us his first impressions of the Big Apple, meeting Phil Esposito, and the Rangers Stanley Cup run in his second year in the league. Ron throws a little shade at the Islanders and talks about why he went from a 20 goal scorer to a 40 goal scorer in just 4 years. We hear about the issue with Herb Brooks and why Ron's Page Six lifestyle was a motive in him being traded to Detroit. Ron shares how fun it is playing alongside Yzerman, Lemieux, and Gretzky and how his passion for the game had him playing in San Diego and Jacksonville after his NHL career was over. Ron and I chat about his incredible podcast "Up in the Blue Seats", who are some of his dream guests and will there be a second season. From hanging out with Andy Warhol to infamously waking up in Gene Simmons' bed. Follow Ron on IG, twitter and Cameo: Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonDuguay10 IG: https://www.instagram.com/ronduguay10/ Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/1010

Joined today by World No. 55 ranked tennis player, Ethan Quinn. Ethan talks about his journey from Fresno, California to Athens, Georgia and then making it to the professional tennis tour. Ethan talks about why he chose the University of Georgia, adjusting to SEC life, winning a national championship as a freshman, and making the jump to the pros.

We chat about his first US Open, competing on the Grand Slam stage, the importance of ATP rankings, and even planning his tournament schedule around travel. Ethan talks about playing against Carlos Alcaraz, and if he embraces the “Quinn Reaper” nickname. Ethan also opens up about his current injury, the mental challenges of being sidelined, how his faith has helped him through the process, and when fans can expect his return to the tour.

We touch on life in Boca Raton, the Georgia-Alabama atmosphere in Athens, balancing playing in singles and doubles matches, and his life as a part-time chef.

Follow one of American's Rising Tennis Stars on IG https://www.instagram.com/ethanqu1nn/

Joined today by CNN National Security Analyst, Journalist, documentarian, podcaster, and New York Times bestselling author Peter Bergen. Peter is on to talk about his outstanding new book, All the Presidents’ Wars: 25 Years of the American War on Terror.

Peter talks about the successes and failures of the War on Terror, the mistakes made by multiple presidents during that time, and why the United States has repeatedly struggled to plan for what comes after military intervention. We also chat about one of history’s biggest “what ifs”: What if Osama bin Laden had been captured or killed at Tora Bora in 2001?

Peter tells us about his famous 1997 interview with bin Laden in an Afghan cave and his experience becoming the only journalist inside bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound aftre he was killed by Seal Team 6. He also explains why he donated decades of his personal research materials to Georgetown University and we hear about the lessons of 25 years covering terrorism and global conflict..

Peter chats about his life outside journalism, his future travel plans, and whether his award-winning podcast could return.

This was a super cool convo with one of the OG voices in terrorism reporting, American foreign policy, Bin Laden and the ongoing War on Terror.

Follow Peter here: https://www.peterbergen.com/

His new book is: All the Presidents' Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror

Joined today by former MLB All-Star Austin Meadows . We chat about living in Florida, being a girl dad, fishing, the outdoors, and his new YouTube channel, Boats & Homers. We talk about growing up in Georgia roots, rooting for all those Atlanta teams and why he won't switch allegiances. Austin talks about his baseball journey: the 2013 MLB Draft, his time in the minors, batting injuries, and call that he was going to the show to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates. We talk about the roller coaster from being rookie of the month to being traded to Tampa Bay. We talk about his All-Star appearance, the highs and lows of being a big league and then moving again to Detroit. We chat about his World Series run, the struggles of playing during Covid and when he decided to hang up the cleats. Austin opens up about his mental health struggles and the personal demons that he battled. We talk about the pressure of being on someone's fantasy baseball team, why Austin never cared much about collecting autographs or memorabilia, and what's next for Boats & Homers.

All this and more with the former All-Star

Joined today by former MLB outfielder Kevin Mench. Kevin talks about growing up in Delaware, remaining a loyal fan of the Eagles and Flyers, and why he eventually made Texas home, and why he is trying to convince me to move to the Lone Star State.

We chat about his popular Instagram page, how he became a fan of Bob Marley, hanging out with George W. Bush, and the work he does to support wounded veterans and law enforcement in Texas. Kevin also talks about his former podcast and whether another one could be in the future.

We then talk some baseball and Kevin shares his journey from high school stud to the University of Delaware, reaching the College World Series, and where he was when he received the call that changed his life on draft day. He talks about leaving the Northeast for minor league baseball, getting called up to the majors, and joining a clubhouse filled with dudes like Pudge Rodríguez, Alex Rodriguez, and Michael Young.

Kevin talks about his memorable seven-game home run streak, the challenges of being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, and the experience of living and playing baseball in Japan.

We also get on our soapboxes and talk about the modern game, crapping on analytics, velocity trends, NIL, and some of the changes that have changed baseball. To wrap things up, Kevin talks about having A-Rod's phone number, his insane memorabilia collection, and plenty more stories from the great Kevin Mench

A fun conversation packed with baseball stories, life lessons, and behind-the-scenes moments you won't want to miss.

Joined today by Guinness World Record holder Lhakpa Sherpa, the woman with the most Mount Everest summits by any woman in history and the star of the hit Netflix documentary "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa".

We chat about her incredible journey from growing up in Nepal to becoming one of the world's greatest mountaineers, her new family-run hiking company, and all of the sacrifices she made as a single mother of three while chasing her dreams. Lhakpa talks about her 11 Everest summits, overcoming domestic abuse, breaking records, and what it's really like to climb the world's highest mountain.

Plus, we talk about her favorite foods, the future of Everest climbing, the documentary, and much more in this convo with the Queen of the Mountain.

Joined today by Chess Grandmaster, and former number 3 player in the world, and current Director of Development for the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the legendary Nigel Short. Nigel and I chat into how we first met in the remote island of Kiribati, and from there, we talk about the incredible work he does bringing chess to every corner of the world. He shares what it’s like to build and support chess federations in over 15 countries and territories, the challenges he faces in developing regions, and the pride he feels watching those nations compete, and even win, on the international stage. We, of course, take a look back at Nigel’s remarkable career: learning the game at age five, rising as a prodigy, defeating a world champion at just ten years old, and becoming a Grandmaster by 19. He opens up about how chess shaped his life, what it means to live as a professional player, and his unforgettable World Championship match against Garry Kasparov, along with what he might have done differently. With that, we discuss how the game has changed from the 1980s to today, his global travels, countries still on his list that he needs to visit, and some unique personal moments, including meeting with President Trump and the Queen of England. All this and more with one of chess’s most influential figures.

Joined today by former Major League Baseball pitcher, Daniel McCutchen. Daniel and I talk about his journey from growing up in Oklahoma to making it to the majors and then becoming a father of four and now running his own car wash business. He talks about going largely un-recruited out of high school and somehow turning that into a pro career where he got drafted four times, twice by the Yankees. We talk about his first call-up experience and the surreal moment of walking into a clubhouse with legends like Yogi Berra, Jason Giambi, and Mariano Rivera. Daniel also opens up on being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, finally making it to “The Show,” and his unforgettable welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment just two pitches into his career. He chats about the mental challenges of baseball, dealing with the highs of being called up and the lows of being sent back down. We also discuss life after baseball, including how he transitioned into business and became involved in a multimillion-dollar car wash venture, Major League Car Wash, which now has four locations and is preparing to open a fifth. Daniel shares how he once handed out business cards before even having a business, the importance of building relationships, and what it takes to turn a vision into a reality. We finish up with his thoughts on the current state of baseball, the most interesting people in his phone and the famous AJ Burnett story, where Burnett famously bought Daniel’s jersey number in exchange for a college trust fund being set up for Daniel’s daughter. All this and more with former Major League pitcher Daniel McCutchen. Follow Daniel on IG @: https://www.instagram.com/cutch82/

• Joined today by wrestling icon and Co-Owner of OVW, Al Snow. Al gives us a journey through the wacky wrestling business. We hear about the match that inspired him, at 14 years old, that he was going to be a professional wrestler and what it took to finally break in. We hear about his first match in 1982 and the moment he finally got the call from WWF. Al talks about the life of a jobber, the differences between WCW and WWF, and what led him to take the reins at OVW. Al also opens up about the Netflix documentary, the recent referee controversy, and the infamous “Head” figure moment that made him a household name.Plus, we get into what it’s like mentoring the next generation of wrestling superstars, how today’s wrestlers compare to the past, life on the road, wild roommate stories and a ton of behind the scenes wrestling talk Al this and more from the legend.. Al Snow!!!

Joined today by former junior welterweight & welterweight world champion, Hall of Famer, and legendary boxing trainer Buddy McGirt. Buddy talks about what brought him to London, training fighters around the world, and what he misses most about living in Florida. We dive growing up in Brentwood, Long Island, famously starting boxing at age 12, and how his head size convinced him football wasn’t the move. He shares which fighters he tried to emulate, how borrowing boxing magazines and books helped shape a young James “Buddy” McGirt, and how the OGs in Brentwood kept him on track and out of trouble. Buddy reflects on turning pro at 18, traveling three hours a day to New Jersey for training, being 26–0 while fighting on the Tyson vs. Mitch Green undercard, and watching a young “Iron” Mike Tyson in action, realizing he was seeing something special. He opens up about dealing with his first loss to Frankie Warren, the 18-month grind to their rematch, and finally capturing the title in Texas—so focused he didn’t even stop to appreciate it. We talk about losing the belt to Meldrick Taylor, moving up in weight, and shocking the world as a 10–1 underdog by beating Simon Brown. Buddy shares stories about his titles, injuries, and his legendary fights with Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker. After more than 5,400 days as a pro fighter, Buddy reveals when he knew it was time to hang up the gloves, how he transitioned into training, what he looks for in a boxer, and the difference between fighters then and now. We get into the famous Antonio Tarver vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight, what he does with his corner gear, and the emotional story behind getting the call that he was being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame—a dream that meant the world to him and his late mother. Buddy also talks about how Don King literally saved his life, clears up rumors about his past, and sets the record straight on that dinner with John Gotti and Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. All that plus the fight he wishes he could’ve seen live, why he hates treadmill running, life as a proud grandfather and soccer dad, and much more. Follow Buddy McGirt on Instagram and check out his official merch—links below!

https://www.instagram.com/buddymcgirtboxing/