Tony Gonzalez Final Four Interview
When Clear Men’s Scalp Therapy sent us to the Final Four in Atlanta, we got to spend a few minutes with Falcons tight end, future Hall of Famer and all-around gamer Tony Gonzalez. Gonzo just agreed to come back for one more season with Atlanta. Although he signed a two-year deal, he made it clear that the second year was just in there for cap reasons. The upcoming season will be his last.
And what a career he’s had. He’s a 13-time Pro Bowler (with 10 All-Pro seasons). He’s caught more passes (1,242), for more yards (14,268) and more touchdowns (104) than any tight end in history. His spot in Canton must already be reserved. He’s slam dunk first ballot hall of famer. And, you know, he can dunk, too.
Gonzalez played college basketball at Cal. During his junior year, he played in 28 games and averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds as a member of the Cal team that made it to the Sweet Sixteen.
Gonzalez is now a spokesman for Clear Men Scalp Therapy. We caught with him at the Coke Zero Fan Experience in Atlanta the day before the Final Four kicked off. We talked about the thrill of playing in NCAA Tournament, what jersey he was going to wear when he finaly gets to Canton, his excitement for next season and what makes Clear Men Scalp Therapy so awesome. Here’s the interview:
While in Atlanta for the Final Four, Gonzalez shot a series of videos for Clear Men that provided tips for creating The Perfect Fanual. Here’s the whole series:
Apr 15th
Make Your TV Smarter!
If you were looking to upgrade your old flat screen TV with a new smart TV you might want to check out the SmartStick first. If your TV is still in great shape why not just spend $50 instead of $1500. A company called FAVI Entertainment can upgrade your TV for 50 bucks as long as your TV has an HDMI input.
SmartStick has a HDMI connector that is built right on the stick that looks like a flash drive and it plugs directly into your HDTV with no cables or confusing adapters. The DC power is supplied over a mini-USB port, and the included mini-USB to USB connection is just the right length, to reach the USB port on your HDTV.
The Interface application is great. The application lets you access apps, the web, and multimedia content. The SmartStick actually gets you! I am serious. This device adapts itself to present your preferred content first. The homepage will remain constantly updated to display your 6 favorite applications, and any two widgets of your choice.
There is a browser tab to search the web. A video tab that will search through your attached storage devices and present all of your video files. Plus there is a music tab that will look out for audio files no matter which folder they’re located in and present them for easy access.
It also works with Google Play, Android apps, Netflix, Hulu and more. I was able to stream shows from my Netflix and HBO accounts. All of these shows are in HD quality since it hooks up to a HDMI port.
With the included PLEX app, you can now wirelessly deliver saved content directly to your SmartStick enabled TV. Just host your computer’s media collection with Plex Media Server, open the PLEX app on your SmartStick and you are connected.
To even add more ease when using the SmartStick pick up the pocket sized keyboard with touch pad mouse. This keyboard lets you quickly respond to email and enjoy a complete web browsing experience. The keyboard setup is very similar to the Android hot keys that are located beneath the touch pad of the controller. If you like playing games on your Android devices then the touch pad will make gaming a lot easier and your gaming experience will be that much better on your flat screen TV. Whether you go with either the 4 GB or 8 GB of internal storage, the stick also has a microSD card slot that holds up to 32 GB. This is another way to watch movies on your TV.
Apr 15th
A Look Back at a Fantastic Final Four
The Madness of March has subsided, but the memories of a fantastic Final Four remain. It’s hard not to get caught up in the NCAA Tournament in any given year, but there was something about the 75th anniversary of the Final Four that distinguishes it as one of the better Big Dances in recent memory. I can’t remember the last time I saw so many strong finishes, early upsets, busted brackets and broken bones.
It’s hard to pinpoint what made the 2013 tourney so special. Watching Harvard and North Carolina A&T win their first tournament games was pretty cool. Maybe it was Florida Gulf Coast becoming the first #15 seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, in just their second season of eligibility. I mean, who wasn’t cheering for Dunk City at some point? Or maybe it was the Shockers shocking their way from a #9 seed, past Gonzaga and into the Final Four.
After so many brackets were destroyed, the three Final Four games were definitely ones to remember. Our friends at Clear Men Scalp Therapy sent us to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to watch the two Final Four semifinal matchups, and it was incredible – great seats, two really good games, a trip to the championship on the line.
For the fourth year in a row, only one #1 seed made it to the Final Four (Louisville). They went on to win it all, but not without some serious challenges and some ridiculously clutch play by Final Four MOP Luke Hancock.
Wichita State became the second #9 seed to advance to the Final Four (Penn did it in 1979). They were also the first Missouri Valley Conference team to make it to the Final Four since Indiana State (also in 1979). It was the first time Wichita State appeared in the Final Four since 1965, and that 48 year gap is the fourth longest Final Four drought streak on record. Only Wisconsin, Stanford, Texas and West Virginia had longer waits between Final Four appearances.
The Michigan and Syracuse game marked the first time in tournament history that two #4 seeds have met in the Final Four. The Wolverines reached their first Final Four since the Fab 5 era. And Syracuse was in the Final Four mix for the first time since Carmelo the Orangemen to a title in 2003.
Wichita State put Louisville in a 12-point hole with 13:35 left in the game, but the eventual champs roared back with Luke Hancock scoring 20 points off the bench. No. 11 fired up the crowd and fed his teammates with energy as the Cardinals rode the emotion to victory.
The Michigan-Syracuse semifinal was a game of runs. The Wolverines attacked Syracuse’s zone defense early and often in the first half. With heavy contributions from the bench, Michigan jumped out to an early lead before Syracuse rolled back in the second half. Clutch three point shooting and serious board crashing allowed Michigan to hang on for the win.
The championship game was another gem. Louisville dug themselves a hole again with a 12-point first-half deficit. Hancock contributed 22 points off the bench and picked the team up yet again. The guy hit four huge three pointers in a row to get the Cardinals back into it. Freshman Spike Albrecht answered for Michigan from three point land, but it wasn’t enough. It was a back and forth battle that looked like it could go either way, but Louisville just kept getting after it and eventually they pulled away and cut down the net, with injured guard Kevin Ware getting the final honors with the scissors.
It was a great finish to an amazing tournament and a fun experience all around thanks to tournament sponsor Clear Men’s Scalp Therapy.
Apr 15th
Julius Randle and Jabari Parker Share MVP Honors at 2013 Jordan Brand Classic
Last night the Barclays Center showcased three games. The first game was the International Game that had the best and brightest from players all around the world compete. The second game was a Regional Game in which every player was from the New York area. In this game it had the best high school players from the city to go up against players from the New York suburbs.
The final game was the National Game which filled up the Barclays Center with fans to see the future stars of the NBA. This game displayed the talents of the top rated high school players from all over the country. The future of Kentucky basketball was well represented last night. There was a total of six players in the game. Three on Team East and three on Team West.
Julius Randle, who is one of the players that will be playing ball for Kentucky, shared in the MVP Honors. He had 19 points and seven rebounds. The other MVP was Jabari Parker, who will be playing for Duke next year. He scored 16 points and seven boards as he and the West Team beat the East 102-98.
Other Kentucky bound players put in work as well last night. James Young had 10 points. Dakari Johnson contributed with eight points. Brothers Andrew and Aaron Harrison chipped in each with six points.
Indiana University looks to have a promising future as both future Hoosiers Troy Williams and Noah Vonleh played well for the West.
Along with the game the Jordan Brand Classic had some notable people in the stands. Since the game has his namesake, Michael Jordan came to watch the game in a suite. He got an enormous round of applause when he was mentioned during the festivities.
Even though the Barclays Center is home to the Brooklyn Nets there were some New York Knicks in attendance. Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith sat courtside. Spike Lee, Drake, who performed at the game was on hand. Plus CC Sabathia, Eric LeGrand, Fabolous, Chromeo, Andre Ward, Busta Rhymes and Michael K. Williams checked out the Jordan Brand Classic.
Photo Courtesy of @JordanClassic Twitter
Carmelo even took the time to take a picture with Co-MVP’s Julius Randle and Jabari Parker. Earlier this past week I caught up with Randle during the East’s practice. I asked him about the game and if he was looking to build chemistry with his future Wildcats teammates. He said, “Oh yea definitely. Last week I played with Dekari Johnson and it was great. This week I am playing with the Harrison twins (Andrew and Aaron). It is crazy. I always used to play against them and now I am playing with them. It will be fun this weekend.”
I would say winning the MVP Award made the weekend even sweeter for him. Kentucky looks to have a bright future with Randle and the rest of the Kentucky bound players. I am guessing John Calipari, head coach for Kentucky, was watching the game last night with a big smile on his face.
Apr 14th
Johnny Ray Gill talks about his new show Rectify.
Johnny Ray Gill can be seen in the new series “Rectify” that will be on the Sundance Channel starting up on Monday, April 22nd. Gill plays Kerwin Whitman who is friends with the main character Daniel played by Aden Young. “Rectify” is a legal drama that tells the story of Daniel, who was falsely imprisoned for 19 years and is released due to new DNA evidence. The series at times follows Daniel thinking back about his time in jail and the viewers are introduced to one of his friends and fellow inmate, Kerwin Whitman.
Gill also has been seen in great shows like “True Blood”, “Bones”, and “Harry’s Law”. Gill also has produced a short film called “Pas de Restes”. Gill wrote, starred in, directed and executive produced the film.
Johnny Ray Gill was able to sit down and chat with me about “Rectify”, his short film, and what he has learned from his experience in the film industry.
Art Eddy: Tell me about the plot of the show “Rectify” and your role as the character Kerwin Whitman.
Johnny Ray Gill: “Rectify” is on Sundance and it is a totally original show. It reminds me of a play in the theater but on camera because of the nuance of the way the story is told and shot. It follows the main character Daniel, who is played by Aden Young. Daniel has been in prison for about 17 years on death row and now because of DNA evidence he is released.
The story is about his first few days out of prison and how he acclimates himself to the town and society. Kerwin Whitman is who I play and I would say that he is Daniel’s spiritual best friend. Kerwin was in a cell that was right next to him on death row.
AE: The show sounds very original and to me I feel like there is nothing on television like it right now. You must be excited to be part of show like this am I right?
JRG: Oh definitely. This show takes a hard and real look about what it is like to be on death row. We take a look at what it does to people’s families, the victim’s family, and what happens when a person is released.
It is also a relevant topic. Right now if you watch CNN or MSNBC you see that with things like DNA evidence people are getting released from prison. There have been a few stories just recently that people who were incarcerated and now were just released based on new evidence that showed that they are innocent. I am very proud to be on a show that is brave enough to dive deep into something of that nature.
AE: I love to see the passion you have for this role and wanting viewers to see a true representation of a person on death row. What type of research did you do for this role?
JRG: Well in terms of research I have never been on death row and never been in prison. When I auditioned for the part I had a sense memory because one of my cousins is actually in jail for 25 years. It happened when I was in high school. He was part of killing someone through gang violence.
I feel that I was able to explore his spirit for the audition. African Americans and Latinos are hugely incarcerated inside a penitentiary complex. There is so much information to tap into. I wanted Kerwin to be almost an example of what not to do. To show how tragic it is to find yourself in these circumstances rightly or wrongly.
We film with real prison guards and they put real handcuffs and real chains on me. When I hear the clanging of the chains as I was walking into a cell that is the size of a bathroom I felt like I was representing my ancestors. I thought about the middle passage and slavery.
The beautiful thing about Kerwin for me is that even though he committed something very tragic on the outside in the real world, he is trying to find his manhood and atone for the things he did wrong. Reading Shakespeare, Malcom X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was able to go into my well so to speak and pull out the emotions of a tragic person trying to be a better man. I did as much research as I can to give the character the most authenticity for the show. To me these characters are not given the weight that they deserve and just become stereotypes and I didn’t want to do that with Kerwin.
AE: Just hearing that alone wants me to check out the show. You have been very busy aside from shooting “Rectify.” You also have another project called “Pas de Restes” in which you wrote, starred in, directed, and executive produced. Tell me about this short film.
JRG: It is a short film that is on the festival circuit right now that I shot last January. It has already been accepted to the Black Hills Film Festival and the Cape Fear Independent Festival. This film was a labor of love. Obviously there is a film industry here in Los Angeles, but there is not a film community. So there is a lot of beg, borrowing, stealing, and cheating to get the movie made.
“Pas de Restes” is about a family that goes out to eat at a popular restaurant. After ordering a bunch of food, like we all do, they are kindly prodded to finish their meal to ensure that no food is wasted. It is a dark comedy and it is doing pretty well so far. I hope that the festival circuit will continue to be kind to it.
AE: Sound like an interesting plot. I hope the film does well for you. Out of acting, writing, and directing do you prefer one over the others?
JRG: I will say I don’t like producing. Producing sucks. (Both laugh) I don’t mean like hey here is $10 million go out and make a film. I mean the day to day having to be your own secretary. Having to schedule everything here and there. That sucks.
Seriously though for acting, directing, and producing I always like to classify them as different suits. One is a pinstripe, one is a slim fit, and one is baggy and you have to put them on at different times. For me I definitely love acting, but the writing and directing aspect for me just comes from wanting to see new and fresh stories being told.
I want to show new perspectives that are not seen in films today. I would to follow the footsteps of Tom Hanks or Will Smith where you can pick the projects that you want to do, but also look at a story and say this needs to be told and go out and be able to tell that story. To me that is how you get great projects out there like “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire”. I want to be one of those individuals who stars and produces a show like “Boardwalk Empire”.
AE: You have also appeared in the shows “True Blood”, “Bones”, and “Harry’s Law”. What did you learn as an actor from being on these notable shows?
JRG: I have been blessed to be on great shows like “True Blood.” With all those shows including “Rectify” you get to see how a great show is really done. People are moving at a frenetic pace and they have to do an episode in eight days usually. These shows are telling fantastic stories and you have to be totally prepared and ready to match these actors when we are filming the show.
The times that I was not acting I would be watching others or the cinematography to learn more about the industry. I would see what they thought was important to put into that scene and I can take what I learned from those shows and put them into my projects.
As an actor when you work with someone like Kathy Bates, you study her. She is an Oscar winner. She knows her craft and there are so many things that you can learn from someone like her. I have been very blessed to have been in those shows and I take that experience and use that for the future.
Apr 11th
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s AMP Energy PowerDash Game
“AMP Energy PowerDash”, is a brand new free mobile racing game from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and AMP Energy. The rules of PowerDash are simple: the longer you keep your No. 88 Chevy SS race car on the track without crashing, the faster you drive and more points you earn, which in turn unlocks upgrades for your car, as well as AMP Energy coupons. 
Playing PowerDash not only gives fans a chance to earn a spot on the virtual leaderboards, but is key to potentially winning a variety of unique real-world prizes and experiences. Weekly prizes include a variety of Dale Jr./AMP Energy memorabilia, including autographed hats, firesuits, scale-model die cast cars, and much more. The top-performing player with the highest score wins an all-expenses-paid VIP racing experience with Dale Jr., and everyone who downloads PowerDash and plays the game has a chance to win a 2013 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible.
PowerDash also leverages image recognition and geo-location technology. Consumers can visit 7-Eleven stores around the country to scan cans of AMP Energy to unlock exclusive offers and tips for maintaining the right level of energy with AMP Energy products.
The game is fun to play and you can get it for your iPhone or Android device. For more info check out there Facebook page.
Apr 3rd
Carmelo Anthony Launches Degree Men DO:MORE Campaign From Atop Madison Square Garden
Carmelo Anthony has always been a dual threat on the basketball court, a leading scorer and a fierce defensive threat, but now he’s showing the world how he can DO:MORE off the court with his love for boxing. Last night Anthony helped Degree Men launch its new DO:MORE campaign with an afternoon workout event with some of New York’s top amateur boxers in a pop-up boxing ring atop the Madison Square Garden marquee. From above the Madison Square Garden marquee, Carmelo helped inspire guys everywhere to DO:MORE in their own lives by hopping in the ring for a brief workout with his boxing trainer. 
Complacency is not an option – especially for America’s elite athletes. As you may have already seen or heard, basketball superstars Carmelo Anthony & Kevin Durant are teaming up with Degree Men deodorant to help launch a new campaign encouraging men to go beyond their comfort zone and test their limits – they’re challenging guys to DO:MORE. With national TV advertising featuring Anthony & Durant airing this month during the NCAA tournament, the guys – who are known and recognized around the world for basketball – are showcasing their individual passions off the court with the support from Degree Men, in hopes to inspire guys everywhere to DO:MORE in their own lives.
With the support of Degree Men with MOTIONSENSE, Anthony has the confidence and protection needed to take his game to the next level and DO:MORE whether he’s running 94-feet up and down the basketball court or going 12-rounds in the boxing ring.
Apr 1st
Coke Zero Explains Why It’s Not Your Fault
It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.
There’s a reason why you can’t turn away from March Madness. Even at work. Coke Zero explains:
Apr 1st
Tony Meola Interview
If you’re old enough to remember when the US hosted the 1994 World Cup, you know Tony Meola. The former US National Team goalkeeper made 100 appearances for the national squad between 1988 and 2006. Born and raised in Jersey, Meola and his larger-than-life mulleted/ponytailed persona was one of the first true soccer superstars in the States.
Meola was a foundational stud who helped launch Major League Soccer in the US. He’s an Italian-American who grew up loving soccer (his pops Vincent played reserve fullback for a second division team in Italy), but Tony also excelled in basketball and baseball. Dude was even drafted by the Yankees. Meola is an engaging guy. He has an awesome radio show called Counter Attack Radio and he also plays the drums.
I caught up with Tony last week when he was in Denver on March 21 when he surprised members of the Future Soccer Academy by hosting an Allstate “Good Hands F.C.” Clinic that included free gear and tickets to the US v. Costa Rica blizzard match that took place on March 22. Tony and I discussed the Allstate Clinic future prospects of the USMNT, racism in soccer, the fact that all goalies are a little bit nuts, the ‘94 World Cup, the birth of the MLS, drummers and a whole lot more. Here’s the interview:
CS: So let’s start with the Allstate Good Hands FC Clinic. Tell me what that’s all about.
TM: Yeah. So Allstate is in their third year of sponsorship with both Major League Soccer and the US National Team. We get to go around the country. I’ve been with the program all three years now. Essentially what we do is the night before a game, we go into the community and we barge in on a practice, which has all been set up through the coaches. We give them a clinic and then ultimately we do some shootouts and we give some prices away and all that kind of stuff. And then at the end everyone comes in and everyone gets a gift from Allstate which is a bag with basically everything that they need for the upcoming season. Literally it’s a group that’s in maybe a little bit more need than some other groups for uniforms, sweat suits, soccer balls, training gear for the coaches. Ultimately, at the end, they’re given tickets to tomorrow night’s game. And in this case, it’s the US-Costa Rica game.
CS: Oh nice. That sounds cool.
TM: Yeah it’s really cool. It’s a really cool night. Allstate does a great job.
CS: So why aren’t there more youth academies in the US? Whether they be from MLS teams or the National Team. You see places in Europe where every club and country has some type of academy where they train these young players. We have such a strong youth soccer culture, but we don’t necessarily put a lot of investment into that development and bringing them forward.
TM: We have 100 academies in the country. All MLS teams have them now, as of finals last year. Major League Soccer has committed above and beyond what the club teams are required to commit to the programs now. It has committed upwards of 20 million dollars to the program. One of the primary focuses is to continue to develop youth soccer players. That’s the only way we’re going to continue to grow in this country.
People started screaming about it a couple years ago when they put the academy program in, but it’s not something that is going to happen overnight. It’s not something that was considered their first priority when they put the league together, but it’s certainly a priority right now. It’s going to take a little bit of time to implement it fully, but from what I’ve seen, everybody is taking steps in the right direction.
CS: You were a foundational contributor to the whole birth of Major League Soccer in ’96. How do you think the league has progressed since then and can they do more to gain exposure and increase popularity?
TM: Well certainly there is more exposure, much more exposure. Social media now exists, which certainly didn’t when we started. That’s huge. The television deals that they have are different than the deals we had, you know? So it continues to grow, and that was the goal for everybody. First we had to figure out, how do we grow it in the right way. And then once we had, do we have the resources to grow? Is there the funding in US Soccer to grow it? And they’ve come about on all of these things. Do I think it’s the end of the growth? No, I think there’s still so much more. And I think everyone agrees that there’s still a ways to go, but I also think everybody is happy with the direction that it’s going.
CS: So if we started to see things like time outs or commercials in soccer, do you think that would attract more advertising dollars and maybe help make the sport more popular and viewable if it had more of that TV exposure?
TM: Good question. It attracts so many different ways to advertise, in soccer. The problem with our sport, and I don’t think we’re going to start it here in America, is it’s 45 minutes of running. That’s the one part of the game nobody wants to see change.
CS: Right.
TM: Everyone wants that to flow. From a coaching standpoint, I’m sure a coach wants to have the ability a couple times to have a time out and make some changes, but that’s the beauty. Coaches get one chance to make things right and that’s halftime. Of course they can make some substitutions along the way, but that’s their one time where they can put their imprint on the game.
CS: You were a key member of the ’94 World Cup team that really helped advance the game in the States. What’s your fondest memory of that whole US World Cup experience?
TM: I think the unity of that team. In ’94, I mean we had half the team that played in Europe and half the team that played in the United States. When we got together, the cause was always the same and we knew how important it was. They know how important it is here as well, but we had heard for four years that if we didn’t qualify in 1990, they were going to take the ’94 World Cup away and we knew it was a privilege for us to have it in our country. We understood it and we played as such. Every minute was important to us. Every second we were together was important to us. That’s what I remember about that group. That was never something you had to worry about.
CS: Do you think the USA will win a World Cup in your lifetime?
TM: I sure hope so. It’s hard to say. Even if you take Brazil or Germany or Italy, it’s hard to say if any of those teams will win another World Cup from here on out, in my lifetime. It’s just so difficult to win. There have only been eight or nine countries that have won the World Cup and there’s a reason for that. But I certainly hope so. And we’ve had teams that could compete, the team in 2002, the team in 2010, could all compete with anybody in the world. But you know, you have to get the job done on that day. I’d like to think the answer is a solid yes, but I can’t give you a solid yes.
CS: I gotcha. Do you like what Jurgen is doing with the direction of the National Squad? What do you think the program has to do to take the next step in the international stage?
TM: When I think about Jurgen, for me, he’s going to be –and I say this all the time– he’s going to be judged, and should be judged, on the results.
CS: Right.
TM: Right now he’s under a little bit of pressure. Which, one, I think is good because it shows that people care. If no one cares you never have any pressure. My concern is that sometimes, from reading the federation, he changes the whole program. For me I’d like his concern just to be strictly on the National Team qualifying for the World Cup and progressing that way. Let everybody else worry about development below the national team. As far as the system, I don’t know that the system has changed all that much, if any. I still think it’s about results. That’s what people want to see. With these World Cup qualifiers it’s just vitally important.
CS: The US has such a great track record of producing quality goalies, but it seems that producing that same level of skill with players in other positions has proven a bit more difficult. Why do you think that is?
TM: Well it’s an athletic position. I think it’s one of coordination. Our guys generally grew up playing baseball, playing basketball as well as soccer, and are a little bit more well-rounded. Because it’s an athletic position, they can pick it up a lot quicker. We used to have foreigners on our team in multiple positions and we’d play a simple game like basketball or handball and you could tell that their eye-hand coordination was zero. Our field players even, they were good playing basketball, baseball, or whatever else we were playing. So we grew up playing multiple sports, I think it’s good. Eventually you’ve got to concentrate on one to make it to that level, but for the most part I think that’s what’s up with the goal keeping position.
CS: So why did you choose soccer over baseball and basketball? You were pretty accomplished at both. I mean you were drafted by the Yankees, man. What made you gravitate toward the soccer field?
TM: My goal as a kid was to play in a World Cup. I grew up watching Italy, because of my background and watching Dino Zoff in the 1980 World Cup in goal. That was what I wanted to do, unlike most kids, especially in that era. Now it’s probably not so uncommon to have kids dream of playing in a World Cup, but back then it probably was your second or third choice. For me it was just the thing I wanted to do more than anything, and I was lucky enough to be able to live that dream.
CS: Do you think all goal keepers are just a little bit nuts?
TM: (laughs) It would be hard for me to disagree with you.
CS: (laughs) Nice.
TM: I don’t know if that’s before, during, or after the job. I’m not so sure.
CS: Do you think you could currently help the New York Jets win some games?
TM: No.
CS: (laughs).
TM: (laughs) I don’t think so. I think the range has diminished a little bit, but I still think from 45 yards in I’d be alright.
CS: I know you’re a pretty accomplished drummer, who is your favorite drummer of all time?
TM: I would say Neil Peart from Rush. Just like you always try to be like someone you’re never going to be able to be like. Carter Beuford from Dave Matthews Band. Guys like that. Guys that you can just tell are really good at having fun at what they do.
CS: What do you think can be done about the whole racism in soccer situation? It seems to be pretty rampant and kind of a growing problem.
TM: Yeah, unfortunately it is. We have this discussion on our show, it seems like weekly. And it seems like, for whatever reason, in these last couple months it has come to the forefront again. Fortunately we don’t have a lot of it here in the United States. I think we’ve had so much education in the United States, dating back so many years, that kind of helps us. Kids are learning about it in school. I’m not sure what the education is at a young age overseas, but yeah, it’s got to stop. It’s sickening every time I hear about it and every time we have to talk about it. We talk about the same thing, when is it going to end? When are people going to learn? When are they going to stop being so cruel to each other? But some people just don’t get it. They just don’t get it. And the scary part is we have guys on our show that have played 20 years ago, played overseas in different places, they’ll come out and talk about how bad it is now. They’ll give us horror stories about how much worse it was when they were playing. Any offence in that regard is disgusting to me, but to listen to some of the stories they tell, it just blows my mind.
CS: Last question for you. I’ll try to end it on a little bit of a lighter note here. Do you think ponytails will ever make a comeback on the pitch?
TM: Oh, that would be my dream.
CS: (laughs)
TM: Even more than the prettier ponytail, would be if the mullet came back.
CS: Oh, that might be asking too much (laughs).
TM: That might be, but hell, bell bottom pants came back for a little, right?
CS: Anything is possible (laughs).
TM: (laughs). Maybe one day. Maybe one day…
Mar 28th
