The Grueling Truth

The highly anticipated TGT Podcast presents an exclusive interview with NFL legend Levon Kirkland, a former All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kirkland's remarkable career and impact on the game come to life as he takes center stage on this captivating show. Listeners are treated to a deep dive into Kirkland's journey, from his rise to stardom with the Steelers to his enduring legacy in the NFL. With his wealth of knowledge and insights, Kirkland shares memorable anecdotes, insider stories, and valuable lessons learned throughout his illustrious career. This episode is a must-listen for football fans eager to hear from one of the game's true icons.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michael-a-goodpaster/support

The TGT Podcast presents a captivating interview with Larry Farmer, a legendary figure in the realm of college basketball, particularly associated with the esteemed UCLA Bruins. In this engaging conversation, listeners are transported into the world of basketball greatness as Farmer shares his remarkable journey and experiences. Drawing upon his extensive knowledge and insights, he reflects on his time playing under the legendary coach John Wooden and the storied UCLA dynasty. Farmer's anecdotes and perspectives provide a unique window into the evolution of college basketball, offering fans a deep appreciation for the sport's rich history. With each word, this interview epitomizes the timeless allure and enduring legacy of the Legends of College Basketball.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michael-a-goodpaster/support

Today in boxing History 1 0 1, we're gonna talk about Norman Selby, the Crazy life of Norman Selby, also known as Charles Kid McCoy. McCoy was one of the great fighters of the early 20th, late 19th century, and we're gonna look at him today, and he is a dude that. I don't know what's the best way to put it.
He was a little bit off. He's a little bit crazy, but he was an absolutely great fighter. And when we look back at the career, the career history of the real kid, McCoy Norman SBE was his real name, but of course he is better known as Kid McCoy. He was controversial in and out of the ring, and frankly, I doubt he would've had it any other way.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

In this retrospective Podcadst, Mike Goodpaster delves into the intriguing journey of Scott LeDoux, a heavyweight boxer from the 1980s who unexpectedly earned a shot at the WBC Heavyweight Championship against Larry Holmes. LeDoux's notoriety grew as he displayed explosive behavior on national television, catching the attention of Howard Cosell and the public. He had a history of clashes with familiar adversaries, as seen in his surprising attack on Johnny Boudreaux during an interview. Despite his exclusion from Don King's roster, LeDoux continued to compete against Duane Bobick and Olympic gold medalist Leon Spinks, often falling short in critical moments. His split decision loss to Ron Lyle left many believing he deserved victory. However, LeDoux's resilience showed in subsequent fights, including a draw with Ken Norton and a win against Marty Monroe. While the path to his title contention was complex, LeDoux's determination and boxing skills played a significant role in his remarkable journey.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

On November 14, 1970, a chartered jet carrying most of the Marshall University football team was involved in a plane crashnear Tri-State Airport in Kenova, West Virginia, killing all onboard. They had just returned from playing East Carolina University that day, losing 17-14. Thirty-seven Marshall football players, along with their coach, doctors, athletic director and 25 team boosters from Huntington, were aboard; "[the whole] fabric and heart of Huntington [were aboard]." A citizen later wrote.This crash was just one of many tragic events to befall Marshall football since 1960, when their stadium, which hadn't been renovated since World War II, was condemned, and their playing surface became too unsafe to use. From 1966 through mid-1969, Marshall had not won any games. Worse yet, the NCAA had suspended them for over 100 recruiting violations (and expelled them from the Mid-American Conference as well). But Marshall seemed to be back on track: It had fired all its dishonest coaches, built an Astroturf field, and started winning games again. On February 14, Marshall narrowly lost to East Carolina but looked forward to an exciting campaign the following season.Huntington residents recall the plane crash as similar to President Kennedy's assassination: everyone knows where and what they were doing when they heard of its news. Immediately afterwards, mourning ensued throughout town: shops and government offices closed; businesses on Huntington's main street draped their windows with black bunting; the university held a memorial service in its stadium the next day before canceling Monday classes; funerals had to be spread out over weeks due to so many being performed; one particularly heartbreaking ceremony saw six unidentified players being laid rest for eternity at Spring Hill Cemetery on a hill overlooking their university home: six players buried together after having gone without identification were interred there on a hill overlooking Huntington - an act which caused no small amounts of regretment among its many inhabitants whose lives would forever change them all for evermore.Marshall hired Jack Lengyel from the College of Wooster in Ohio as their new football coach and began rebuilding their squad. The NCAA allowed Lengyel to put freshmen onto his varsity squad; thus creating an eclectic mix of first-years, walk-ons, and nine veteran players who hadn't been involved with the plane crash that night. Although Marshall lost its opening game of 1971 against Ohio Xavier University 15-13 with a dramatic last-second touchdown against them, Marshall eventually went on to win nine more under Lengyel during his four year stint with us but none as emotionally.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

The Hoosiers score a big one! Join Mike Goodpaster, Steve Risley and Brian Mohr as they discuss the Hoosiers' newest addition Mackenzie Mgbako! The Hoosiers look like a Top ten team now headed into the 2023-24 season!Mackenzie Mgbako from Roselle Catholic (New Jersey) signed his letter of intent with Indiana on Friday evening.Mgbako initially committed to Duke in October before opening up his recruitment in April and visiting St. John's, Kansas and Indiana before selecting Indiana as his destination. Mgbako considered Louisville but decided against visiting.According to 247Composite, this 6-foot-8 forward is currently ranked as the No. 8 player in the 2023 class.He became the highest-ranked high school recruit to commit under Mike Woodson, now in his third season in Bloomington.According to RSCI rankings, Indiana has only attracted top-10 recruits since 1998: Eric Gordon, Romeo Langford, Noah Vonleh, Jared Jeffries and Cody Zeller are the only five.Mgbako joins Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton as three high school players that will join Indiana for the 2023-24 season. Indiana also recently welcomed three transfers - Kel'el Ware from Oregon, Anthony Walker from Miami and Payton Sparks from Ball State - as part of its 2023-24 roster.\Do the Hoosiers now have a roster that can bring Indiana back to national relevance? Only time will tell, but Cosck Woodson is doing a great job of stacking the Hoosiers roster with talented and athletic players.Indiana looks on paper at least as a top ten contender to win a National Championship in the upcoming season; the Hoosier's last National Championship was in 1987, and the teams last Final Four appearance was in 2002 so Coach Woodson has his work cut out for him. Still, Friday was a huge step in the right direction!Make sure to tune in to the Indiana Basketball Weekly show with Steve Risley all year long for the latest Hoosier content.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

Joe Walcott (not "Jersey Joe") terrorized opponents with every bit of force a name like that suggests; many called him the "Barbados Demon", and that title wasn't given without reason.He was an unstoppable force with extraordinary strength.Walcott faced numerous notable opponents during his 166-fight career, such as Sam Langford and Philadelphia Jack O'Brien (Hall of Fame Heavyweight/Light Heavyweight). Additionally, world light heavyweight champion George Gardner and colored heavyweight champion Frank Childs shared the ring together.Walcott only towered 5'1".He was a puzzle to all but himself - from his appearance and fighting style right down to how great of an individual he became.Walcott was an unlikely welterweight at 6 feet 1 inch but boasted incredible muscularity, as evidenced by research conducted by Monte D. Cox (National Police Gazette Oct 27, 1894). According to Monte's findings, Walcott had an extraordinary 18-inch neck circumference and 41-inch chest expansion (National Police Gazette October 27 1894).Nate Fleischer said it best, calling Walcott an incarnation of Hercules cut in half." The so-called Barbados Demon was made from solid stone and seemed terrifying to observers.Imagine such an individual stepping into the ring against towering heavyweights to fight.Walcott was known for taking aggressive attacks against opponents by leaping hooks at them from above and springing forward so that he could reach them.But where the line between fiction and reality, genius and insanity really blurs is in Walcott's unexpected success in the ring.Walcott was so eccentric (and difficult to comprehend) that he defied logic; standing just two inches taller than Jacob Matlala with only 65" reach (three inches shorter than featherweight Eugene Criqui), yet managing to defeat Tommy West, Dan Creedon, Mysterious Billy Smith three times (despite outweighing him by 17 pounds), Joe Grim Young Peter Jackson Rube Ferns Joe Choynski held his own with world beaters like Sam Langford and Joe Gans before holding onto his title for three years. before dropping down to featherweight and earning title defence against Mysterious Billy Smith - yet somehow managed all these achievements against an opponent with whom nobody understood or could match up against him!Walcott achieved an astounding record, boasting 104 wins to 32 losses, with 15 coming due to an accidental gun injury that severely disfigured his right hand.His fight style would never be the same again.Walcott, in his prime, was a demon; an adult trapped inside of a child's body; full of anger and hate for humanity. His aggression would often come out in violent fights against men who dared step into the ring with him.Walcott's violence and greatness knew no bounds - unintimidated by anyone, Walcott even issued a challenge against James Jeffries, the heavyweight champion of the world.Jeffries declined, and that, my friends, is as strange as it can get.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.

Miami Heat's defense will be tested going against Jayson Tatum who is coming off a 51-point performance, setting an NBA Game 7 scoring record and setting up their win over Philadelphia on Sunday. Jalen Brunson scored 41 points despite various defensive looks employed against him on Friday; Miami found its salvation from their scoring helplessness by the other Knicks.Might Boston Revert to Their Starting Lineup? Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had an inspired idea before Game 6 against the Sixers by starting big man Robert Williams III alongside Al Horford rather than spacing out their use over time. It worked last spring and again against Philadelphia, while against Miami they might benefit more by returning to Derrick White starting alongside Tatum, Brown, Horford and Marcus Smart instead of Robert Williams III in tandem with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo Max Strus and Gabe Vincent instead of using Caleb Martin instead as Kevin Love.Mazzulla, 34, was expected to have some difficulty competing against Sixers coach Doc Rivers - widely considered one of the league's premier mentors - during his initial year on the job. Now he faces one of its premier teachers: Spoelstra's teams frequently exceed and often surpass expectations during series and game adjustments and comeback efforts from Play-In Tournament status; few outside Miami's film room expected them to reach this round while anything less than reaching the Finals would be seen as disappointing for Boston.I expect the Celtics depth and Tatum to be the reason the Celtics will advance to another NBA Finals, but it wont be easy as the Heat are a battle-tested group and could easily take this series deep. The Celtics will have to be at their best to win this series and I expect they will be. Celtics take this series in six games.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-grueling-truth--1461015/support.