Mike Safo

Joined today, all the way from Nigeria, radio host, blogger, soccer guru, and author, China Acheru. We start chatting about his new book “A Thousand Times on the Same Road” which chronicles his life as a sports reporter. China tells us why after attending 1000 games he knew he had to write this book. We hear what got him addicted to sports at a young age, the difficulties of being a journalist in Nigeria, and the current state of football (soccer) out there. China explains how he made the book so personal, while juggling to make it entertaining, humorous and real. We chat about the passion of Nigerian fans, the corruption that plagues league games, and some death threats he got along the way. China and I talk about what food I need to try when I get to Nigeria, traveling the world for sports and why he hasn't ventured to NYC yet. From uncovering that a grown man was playing on the Nigerian 16 and under team to stay in a brothel for good luck, China brings his unique humor and knowledge that makes him one of the most well known sports writers in Africa. Follow China on the following platforms and purchase his new book:

Twitter:    https://twitter.com/Ikwerreman

Website:  https://athousandtimesonthesameroad.com/

Amazon:   A Thousand Times On The Same Road

Joined today by 1996 Olympic Gold Medal Decathlon, Hall of Famer, and 3 Time World Champion Dan O’Brien and co-hosted by Olympic Guru, Courtney Nilan.  Dan tells us about his upcoming podcast “Track and Field DNA”, what took him so long to get back to us on Twitter, and Courtney professes her fandom for the Olympian. We chat about Dan growing up in Portland with his huge family, why he joined track and field and how he jumped from an unknown to the best in the state in high school. Dan talks about going to the 1988 Olympic Trials just for the experience, and having a chance meeting with Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who convinced him to be a Decathlete. Dan goes in-depth talking about the Dan vs Dave campaign, what happened during the fateful ‘92 Olympic trials and how he persevered and bounced back to win the World Title the next year. Dan takes us behind the scenes to the historic 1996 Olympic Opening Ceremony, hanging out with the Dream Team and what went through his mind watching Muhammed Ali light the Olympic Torch. Dan shares his 10 disciples and explains the feeling of joy and relief winning the Gold in 1996. We talk about pushing the human body, setting Guiness Book of World Records for Hopscotch and even wearing Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson’s clothes while receiving the Gold. All this plus being a super model, his secret diet before the Olympic Games and much more.

Follow Dan on the following social media platfoms and get ready for this podcast.

https://twitter.com/danobrien

https://www.danobrien.com/

Joined today by founder and owner of “Silk City Hot Sauce”, Jeff Levine. Jeff tells me about growing up in New Jersey and how hitchhiking along the East Coast brought him to the Green Mountain State. We hear what made Jeff decide to take his love of hot sauce and turn it into a family business, and how the name “Silk City” came to be. Jeff reveals how he comes up with his crazy hot sauce flavors, who he tests them on, and how he is hustling getting his name out there in an ultra-competitive field. From some of Jeff’s favorite comedians and to a flavor he thought was going to take off but it bombed. All this, plus the first ever hot sauce for ice cream. Follow Jeff and Silk City Hot Sauce on the following platforms.  

https://www.levinskystopshelf.com/silk-city-hot-sauce

https://www.facebook.com/SilkCityHotSauce/

https://twitter.com/silkcityhot

Joined today by Mets beat reporter and author of the new book about David Wright called, “The Captain: A Memoir” by AnthonyDiComo . Anthony talks about why David Wright was so inspiring that it made him want to write his first book. We hear how he got David on board to writing the book with him, the process of writing it and why trying to do a book during the MLB season wasn’t the greatest idea. Anthony tells us about some of the cool interviews he conducted while writing the book, from David’s travel ball coach when he was a pre-teen to his high school teammates. We chat about the up’s and down’s of David’s career from his top 10 MVP finishes to only making the playoffs twice in his career. Anthony touches on David’s proudest moments and biggest disappointments. We hear about Anthony’s journey from Massachusetts kid to Mets beat reporter, getting star struck meeting Bill Bellicheck and covering some of the weird stories with the Mets. All this and more with Anthony DiComo . 

Follow Anthony on twitter and purchase his book here:

https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622487/the-captain-by-david-wright-and-anthony-dicomo/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08478744K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Joined today by the owner of the best baseball bar in the country, Foley’s, Shaun Clancy. Shaun is calling in from sunny Florida and updating us on how he’s been spending his days since having to close the infamous bar due to COVID. He shares his family’s history in the hospitality industry and what famous mob patron gave to his dad as a farewell “gift” before going back to Ireland. Shaun brings us back to Old New York and tells us how the name Foley’s came to be and the creation of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. We discuss the up’s and downs of owning a bar, how the bar business will never be the same after COVID, and how he made sure his staff were all taken care of. From what his dad did with Mickey Mantle’s jersey to trying to get the Pope to sign a baseball. You’re going to hear stories about David Wright, Vin Scully, Joe D and many many more!

https://www.foleysny.com/

https://twitter.com/foleysny

https://www.facebook.com/FoleysNYPub/

https://www.instagram.com/foleysny/

Joined today by light heavyweight boxer, "Sir" Marcus Browne. Marcus makes his first appearance on the podcast in 8 years. We catch up about his time in the London Olympics, turning professional and why he signed with Al Haymon. We chat about his heavy work load when he first turned pro fighting 10 times in just 2 years. He tells us how he celebrated winning the WBA and WBC light heavyweight championships. Marcus and I discuss his first professional loss against Jean Pascal, how he dealt with that defeat mentally and why he never felt sorry for himself. We reminisce about Staten Island, his mom's restaurant and of course Italian food. From his baseball card and sneakers collection to addressing how he went Hollywood on me. Follow Marcus on the following social media platforms

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Marcus_Browne

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbrowne718/

Joined today by famous murderabilia dealer Eric Holler from SerialKillersInk.net.  Eric tells me about his childhood, being a huge Sabbath, Kiss and Alice Cooper fan, and how sending a few letters to inmates changed his life. We hear how he charmed Richard Ramirez, and how their friendship grew to where the Night Stalker was sending him artwork to sell. From eBay to Facebook, Eric continued to grow and excel in this small community of dealers. He shares how he started his site, how he puts a price on these one of a kind items and how he goes about authenticating the artifacts. We chat about the unique items he possessed, how he sold dirt from Anthony Sowell’s yard, letters from Berkowitz, and a few Gacy paintings along the way. I flip the script and talk about his opposition and the resistance of selling these controversial items. Does this violate the Son of Sam law and is it immoral? Eric explains the charity he has done to raise money for the victims of the Aurora movie theater shooting and what he has to say to his enemies. We hear about being in the auction room with the Zodiac killer’s hoodie & sunglasses and the Unabomber typewriter and who won that auction. Eric touches on his relationship with Casey Anthony and how he came about selling her stuff. Where does Eric draw the line on what he would acquire and sell? From the sought after signature of Gary Ridgeway to visiting serial killers in prison, Eric has a unique job and life and shares his memories with us here. Check out Eric's site:

Website: http://serialkillersink.net/

Joined today by Olympic medalist, best-selling author and one of the greatest runners in American history, Deena Kastor. Deena tells me about what got her into running at such a young age, why she kept doing it and what continued to drive her throughout high school. We hear about her recruitment and why she left California to run in the SEC at Arkansas. She talks about graduating, making the decision to turn pro, what made her choose certain races and when was the moment she knew she could compete at the highest level. The 3-time Olympian, takes us through the process to make Team USA. We talk about her first games in Sydney in 2000, the wild parties that take place inside of the Olympic Village and meeting Kobe Bryant. From winning the Bronze medal In 2004 Athens to writing her best-selling book “Let Your Mind Run”. All this plus we chat about the NYC Marathon, her pre and post race meal and more. Follow Deena on IG and Twitter here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deenakastor

IG: https://www.instagram.com/deena8050/

Website: https://www.mammothtrackclub.com/

Here is podcast I did with WWE/WWF Legend Kamala (James Harris) back in 2012. It was the 5th podcast I ever hosted so please ignore the stuttering, stammering and complete lack of interviewing skills. Kamala joined me and we talk about having his leg amputated and his current health situation. We chat about growing up in Mississippi and what lead him up to Michigan to start wrestling. Kamala tell us about his early gimmicks (Sugar Bear and Ugly Bear) and how Jerry “The King” Lawler introduced him to the Ugandan Giant gimmick that changed his life. James Harris tells us about his historic feuds with Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan and why he never fought in a WrestleMania. He takes us behind the scenes, on the reason for his departure from the WWF after his coffin match with the Undertaker in 1992. From getting a check for UNDER $2.00 from WWF to Kamala’s refusal to break character made him have a run in with the law. Rest in Peace James Harris, thank you for 8 years of friendship!