Mike Safo

Latest Episodes:

Mike Safo with Sadam Ali, Former Light Middleweight Champion & Will Rosinsky Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by former light middleweight champion of the world Sadam Ali and co-host, former boxer Will “Power” Rosinsky. This episode was recorded from Sadam’a gym in Brooklyn. We chat about how Sadam and Will met each other, their initial thoughts on each other’s skills and how Sadam eating at a restaurant alone got us together. Sadam gets right into it and announces that he’s on the verge of a comeback to the ring, we hear why he’s coming back, who he has his eyes set and why he’s a better boxer now. We go back to Sadam at 8 years old falling in love with the sweet science, idolizing Prince Naseem and his fathers influence on his career and life. We talk about winning the golden gloves, being the first Arab-American to resplendent the USA at the Olympics, meeting Kobe Bryant, and where that Ralph Lauren outfit is. Sadam chats about his 22-0 record, his first defeat to Jesse Vargas and then we talk about his career defining match against Miguel Cotto. We hear how that fight got made, how it felt being an underdog in his own backyard, and when he knew he was going to win the fight. Sadam disappoints me and Will with how he celebrated winning the championship, but we hear about it. Sadam shares about falling out of love with boxing, what he did as a young retiree and how the importance of his dad’s support drives him. We discuss his other passion, bowling, and his quest to get a 300, beating a young Terence Crawford and why he wasn’t allowed to make any dumb purchases. Will and Sadam talk about the business side of boxing, why “influencers” are a great thing and why boxing is a dirty sport. All this plus a ton more with Will Rosinsky and the Champ, Sadam World Kid Ali. Follow Sadam here https://www.instagram.com/theworldkidali/

Mike Safo with Coach Bill Picketts, Philippines National Baseball Head Coach Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by Head Coach of the Philippines National Baseball team, former Oakland A's draft pick in 1990 and head coach of LA Pierce College, Coach Bill Picketts. Bill and I talk about his first year at Long Beach State, their Cinderella run to the College Baseball World Series, and where the name "Dirtbags" came from. We hear about how Bill got the call in 1990 that he was drafted, his time in the minors and how at the age of 23 did he know it was time to hang up the cleats and go into coaching. Bill and I discuss his jump from coaching the freshman high school baseball team to the head coach of LA Pierce College. He shares bout the one-time Coach Picketts actually picked up his office phone and how a random question about a Filipino baseball player led him to be the head coach of the Philippines Baseball team. Coach Picketts talks about going out to the Philippines, his surprise how passionate they are about baseball and what his long- and short-term goals are out with building baseball from the ground up out there and how we can help. Bill tells us about almost coaching Tim Tebow, what current players the Filipino players look up to, their success in the Southeast Asian games and the challenge that lies ahead as they go to China to compete in the Asia games. All this plus we hear about a Don Mattingly postcard, Ted Williams bat and the moment Coach Picketts knew he wasn't going to cut it as an MLB player. Click on the links below to help support growing the game of baseball in the Philippines, the Pearl of the Orient https://philippinesbaseballgroupstore.myshopify.com/collections/all

Mike Safo with Nic Edwards, Host "True Crime Garage" & Author Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by co-host of “True Crime Garage“ and author of the incredible new book "The Delphi Murders: The Quest to Find The Man on the Bridge", Nic Edwards. Nic shares why he chose to write a book on this horrific case, what the process of writing his first book was like, and how he juggled researching his podcast and writing the book simultaneously. We chat about the case starting with the last time Abby and Libby were seen alive, that first night and the search, and the next morning when their bodies were discovered. Nic and I go over the investigation, from the changing of the suspects picture to having numerous law enforcement agencies involved to the number of potential suspects. We discuss how a case with a snapshot and a voice recording of a suspect didn't result in an immediate arrest. We talk about some of the evidence against Richard Allen, speculate if there will be more arrests and why we are all eagerly awaiting the trial. Nic tells us about hosting the uber popular podcast, “True Crime Garage” with his brother "The Captain", the research that goes into their shows and when he knew they had a hit show. He talks about his other passion, which is being on the board of our buddy James Renner's non-profit, "The Porchlight Project", what they do and how we can help. From cold cases being solved with modern technology to what true crime story he would love to do a deep dive 60-part series on. All this and more with the voice and now author or the true crime genre. Check out Nic and “True Crime Garage” here: https://www.truecrimegarage.com/ https://twitter.com/truecrimegarage https://twitter.com/TCGNIC

Mike Safo with David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by Pulitzer Prize winning author, David Maraniss. David and I chat about getting the phone call that he won the Pulitzer, the gifts that come with it and what he did the first time he saw someone reading his book. David talks about his podcast with his daughter “Ink in our blood” and what made him want to venture into that medium. We hear why David makes it a point to visit, and often times, move to the location where the subject of his book is from; and the significance of talking to every possibly person and how he gains their trust. David talks about his latest book “Path Lit by Lighting: The Life of Jim Thorpe”, what made him want to write about him, his legacy, and the biggest misconceptions about him. David and I touch on his other books: “Rome 1960”, their importance and why Rafer Johnson was chosen to be on his cover; “When Pride Still Mattered” and how Packers football is LIFE in Green Bay and his other work. David tells two amazing stories that you just need to hear: 1. About his relationship with Bill Clinton and the “tie” comment and 2. How he discovered Obama’s NYC girlfriend. All this plus some cool memorabilia he owns, his favorite tv show and his ritual when finishing a book. Follow David hear: https://davidmaraniss.com/ Buy his books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Maraniss/author/B000APJ88U?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true And don’t forget his paperback book is out June 7

Mike Safo with Traveler and Author Dave Seminara Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by traveler and author of the tremendous book “Mad Travelers: A Tale of Wanderlust, Greed and the Quest to Reach the Ends of the Earth”, Dave Seminara. Dave talks about growing up in Buffalo, the tragedy he feels being a Buffalo Bills fan, and if he’s losing hope that he’ll ever witness his team win a Super Bowl. Dave then talks about why he joined the foreign service, daily activities while serving in Macedonia, and why he decided to leave that gig. We hear about why he decided to start writing and how a 642 tennis rally got him his first real press in the New York times. Dave and I talk about the wild world of traveling and how his idea of starting a television show about travelers led him to the fascinating William Bakeland. We discuss how William, who’s an alleged con artist somehow scammed some of the world’s most experienced and well respected travelers. We hear how much money William stole from people, if he’s still wanted, and how he reached out to Dave after the book was released. We chat about the wanderlust gene, traveling the world, and what’s next on our “country counting” lists. Dave tells two great stories about only having one hour to prepare before interviewing Roger Federer and how he showed up at the home of Ron DeSantis’s parents in an attempt to get an interview. All this plus much more. https://daveseminara.com/ https://twitter.com/daveseminara https://www.instagram.com/madtravelerdave/

Mike Safo with Abbott Kahler and Erik Larson Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by TWO New York Times best-selling authors, Erik Larson and Abbott Kahler. Abbott and Erik share their story on how they met 20 years ago, what shocked them to learn about each other, and why they have stayed friends for such a long period of time. Abbott talks about why she changed her name at 40, if she is worried that her name change will affect her book sales, and why changing her first name to Abbott might actually help her non-fiction writing. We chat about Abboot working as a beat reporter in Philly, doing ride alongs, and the cattiness that are Philly sport fans. Abbott chats about her new upcoming podcast, the process with doing it and when it's dropping. We talk about her hit book "The Ghosts of Eden Park", why and when she became fascinated with George Remus, what he meant to prohibition, if he's the greatest bootlegger of all time, and the murder and the trial of the century. Erik and Abbott share about putting their boots to the ground and doing old fashion detective work when they research their books, why court transcripts are the greatest treasure to writing a non-fiction book, & why they travel to the locations they write about. We discuss the pressure of following up your New York Times best-selling books and how that relates to your next book, if they read reviews and how they interact with their fans. Abbott let’s us know about her newest project "Then Came The Devil" about sex, murder, and utopia on the Galapagos Islands. Erik talks about what's going on with Hulu, Keanu Reeves, and if the "Devil in the White City" is coming to TV any time soon. A few hot toddy's, a couple of Manhattans and we hear about weird first jobs, people getting fired, and the cleaning up of some disgusting things. From interviewing a young Kobe Bryant to having James Carville call your hotel room, all this plus much more https://abbottkahler.com/ https://eriklarsonbooks.com/

Mike Safo with Jeff Guinn, New York Times Bestselling Author Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by New York Times best-selling author Jeff Guinn. Jeff and I talk about last night’s Super Bowl; where he watched it and what he thought of the horrendous “holding” call. Jeff looks back on the first time he saw someone reading his book and what happened that caused him to never approach someone holding his book ever again. He goes on to talk about his incredible new book “ Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage”. Jeff shares his initial thoughts of the davidians, why researching this book was so difficult and how he juggled putting it all together. We discuss David Koresh and how a shy, stuttering boy transformed himself into a biblical scholar/leader with a loyal following that were willing to die for what they believed. We talk about the ineptitude of the ATF, all their mistakes and question why they didn’t arrest David without any news cameras and fan fare. Jeff opens up about how investing years of his life into such a tragic event gave him nightmares and how he’s dealing with that. From Jeff having the Manson girls’ phone numbers, his opinion on Barry Bonds in the hall to Wednesday on Netflix and much more!! Follow him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/jeffguinnauthor/

Mike Safo with Kasumba Dennis (Uganda Viral Baseball Star) and Coach Paul Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

Joined today all the way from Uganda, viral baseball sensation Kasumba Dennis and his coach Paul Wafula. We talk about visiting Uganda, gorilla trekking, what’s there to do there and food you must try when you visit the Pearl of Africa. We discuss how the United States military came to Uganda and how the citizens saw them playing and fell in love with the game. We chat about how Coach Paul’s talent was noticed by a Japanese scout and how that led to him trying out in Japan. We hear about Kasumba’s unique training, using cardboard as a glove and how his practice videos have gone viral. Coach Paul tell us how we can help, what equipment they need, and how we can get baseball growing in Uganda. All this and much much more with two baseball lovers from the other side of the world. > Follow Kasumba and check out his videos here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/KASUMBADENNIS4 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kasumbadennis648

Mike Safo with John Miedrich, VP of Baseball Operations for Baseball United Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for Baseball United, John Miedrich. John talks about growing up in Long Island, why he joined the NYPD, and what lifelong lessons he learned early on in his life patrolling the streets of East New York. We chat about his illustrious career climbing the ranks and serving as the commanding officer of the NYPD International Liaison Unit. John tells an incredible story of his team of international detectives who received information of the murder of an 8-month-old baby and located and arrested the perpetrator in Thailand in under 48 hours. John talks about visiting the Dominican Republic and noticing the poverty amongst the young athletes there. He donated equipment and time which helped lead to his starting his own baseball academy down there. We then talk about BASEBALL UNITED, the first ever profession baseball league serving the Middle East and South Asia, attempting to bring America's pastime to over 2 billion new fans. We discuss how the dream got started, the significance that Mariano Rivera and Barry Larkin gave to the league when they signed on and what type of characters they are hoping to attract to help this league. We chat about the long term plans of Baseball United, the much-anticipated 2023 Baseball Showcase in Dubai, the excitement of the team name being released and much much more Follow Bsaeball United here: https://baseballunited.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@baseballutd https://twitter.com/BaseballUnited

Mike Safo with Author Charles Leerhsen (Anthony Bourdain's new book) Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Joined today by award winning author of "Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain", Charles Leerhsen. Charles and I talk about growing up in New York, becoming an editor for Sports Illustrated, and when he knew the time had come to move on from SI. We discuss his time writing for Newsday, venturing out on his own projects and how he convinced Simon and Schuster to allow him to write about about a horse from the 1890’s, Dan Patch. Charles shares when and why he decided to write a book about Anthony Bourdain, the hurdles he faced in getting people to talk about Tony and how he called an audible and reached out to Bourdain’s high school friends and characters from Kitchen Confidential to create this book. We chat about the “Bourdain Brand”, becoming famous at an older age and why Tony’s brother didn’t want this book published. Charles talks about the controversial Asia Argento, what she meant to Tony, his obsession and how she made him lose his dignity. All this and a bunch more with the award winning author! Follow Charles here: Website: https://leerhsen.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharlesLeerhsen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leerhsenc Charles has written books about: Butch Cassidy, Ty Cobb, Anthony Bourdain, Dan Patch and the Indy 500

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