When The Game Ends

Starting to do some shows/podcasts with several of my former co-workers at WILX TV in Lansing, Michigan. First up is WZZM News Anchor Nick LaFave, we spent a good part of 2004 working together on weekends. Nick has done great things in his career since then and continues to do them today!! He hails from Marquette, MI, he's a Yooper through and through. He began his broadcasting/journalism career in Montana, from there he moved on to Lansing, we had a great time working together, he held down the news anchor spot, i was the sports anchor. After several years in Lansing, Nick moved on to Duluth, MN, a job that was very instrumental in his career, he also met his wife in that stop in his career. He shared 2 outstanding stories with me about his time in Duluth, very good stories!! After Duluth, Nick moved on to Shreveport, LA for a stint in their news department. After the stop on the bayou, Nick was hired in Grand Rapids, MI at WZZM and he's done great things as their main news anchor. We discussed his role there, life in the times of COVID, his conversations with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. We also discussed the possiblity of schools reopening here in Michigan and many other topical items regarding the year that is 2020. Last but not least, there is some hockey talk in this episode, Nick has been a hockey referee for several years, great time catching up with Nick!!!

In this episode, I talk with Jason Zone Fisher, longtime TV Host, Reporter, Emcee. Jason is a native of Shaker Heights, Ohio and at a young age, he got his start in show business. At just 9 years old, Jason was cast in "Conversations With My Father", a show that played at the Cleveland Playhouse. In his high school years, Jason was a 2 time Emmy nominated host of "Browns Blitz", a show on that aired on the local NBC affiliate in Cleveland. From there he attended Syracuse University and the top notch, Newhouse School of Broadcasting. He did a variety of different things while attending Syracuse before graduating and entering the professional world. His father was a longtime lawyer and eventually became LT. Governor of Ohio, so Jason had grown up around law and politics. His first project after Syracuse was a documentary on living and growing up in a political family, that documentary did very well and Jason was off and running in his career! He has been a spokesman for several big companies, including Gillette, Butterfinger, PIzza Hut, just to name a few! His story of meeting and developing a relationship with Current NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver is awesome, its a must listen part of this podcast!! Jason is also a longtime, and often suffering, Cleveland sports fan, and he shares his story of being at the 2016 NBA Finals when Lebron James led the Cavaliers to the City of Cleveland's first pro championship in 52 years, another great story!! He's also worked on "Coaster Quest", a show on rollercoasters all over the country and he's also been involved with "Chopped" on Food Network as well as many other shows and networks. Jason and I have worked together the last 2 years on the WAL, World Armwrestling League, shows for Bleacher Report/Turner, Jason is our Pit Reporter! All in all, Jason Zone Fisher is always in the "zone", great guy, who has worked hard in the business and continues to have great success!!! Enjoy!! 

Today on episode 49 of the No Holden Back podcast we talk about Monster Energy Supercross and the championship battle between 450 title contenders Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb, what's new in American sports, and the WAL. Of course, we also talk Father's Day and some of the great memories and things we've learned over the years from our Father's! Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there!

Stay Safe and Stay Healthy!

Ben and Luke 

Welcome back! It's been 3 weeks since we've recorded a new episode and we are pumped to be back! on this episode we talk about Monster Energy Supercross, Moto GP, Nascar, NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, College Football, PLL, and Soccer as well! it's a total sports round table! We thank you for all your support and appreciate you listening and watching the No Holden Back Podcast! 

Stay healthy and Stay Safe,

Ben and Luke

Part 1 of a 2 part interview with Former Denver & Miami (OH) hockey coach George Gwozdecky as he joined Fred Pletsch and I for some great conversation and stories from his playing and coaching days. We dropped the puck talking about Valor Christian HS Hockey, George finished his 5th season coaching there earlier this year, his team won the Colorado State Title, their 1st in program history! From we talked about his hometown, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and his days as a young hockey player and growing up. We also got an incredible story of one of George's former teammates on the Thunder Bay Vulcans, Bill "Goldie" Goldthorpe, who was the inspiration for Ogie Ogilthorpe, a character in the hockey classic, "Slap Shot", one of the best stories i've ever heard in my life!!! From there we shifted to a conversation George had with his college coach at Wisconsin, the late, great, Badger Bob Johnson, that had so much to do with George becoming a coach! We also talked about another conversation with the late, great, Ron Mason, who came calling to offer George a job after he had won the NAIA National Title at Wisconsin River-Falls in 1983, George originally told Mason "No", on the job offer, another classic story! We also talked with George about his days as the head coach at Miami (OH) and one special season that is to this day, one of the best he ever spent behind a bench coaching! Part 2 with George is coming soon, enjoy Part 1, it's outstanding!!

Excellent time chatting with longtime & veteran college hockey writer Neil Koepke in this episode! Neil joined Fred Pletsch and I to talk about several topics, great listen for the college hockey fan or hockey fan in general with Neil, who has nearly 50 years of covering the sport! We started out talking about his younger years as a goalie, growing up in Cleveland, going to Ohio State as a goalie for 1 year, there he played for Harry Neale, who later in his career, spent several years as the top analyst for "Hockey Night in Canada", Neale was a founding force in Ohio State's hockey program. Later in his college years Neil transferred to the University of Detroit, it was there he started to find his way a journalist/writer covering hockey. Neil spent several years on the University of Michigan hockey beat before he started on the beat of Michigan State hockey in the mid 80's, he's still on the beat today covering Spartan hockey and college hockey! We talked about some his fondest memories of covering the Spartans, the late, great Ron Mason, his top players and moments in Spartan hockey history, and so much more in this entertaining episode!!