Monday Morning Critic Podcast

Send us a text"Gregg Olson came in like wildfire as a reliever in the late 1980s, mowing down everything in his path with a blazing fastball and devastating curve."  Baseball Historian Sheldon Stewart in the Baseball Library (The Idea Logical Company, 2006, Gregg Olson)  Meet: Gregg Olson.

Send us a textMarc Mero, Former WWE Wrestling Champion and Author of “How to be the Happiest Person on the Planet,” reached the pinnacle of sports-entertainment success – then lost it all — but in the process discovered what’s most important in life.  Everyone faces adversity.  “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up.  You can do anything you set your mind to!”Marc shares his captivating journey with audiences worldwide and inspires people to examine their life choices.  Listeners feel a greater sense of appreciation toward their relationships and the “gift of time” – and are empowered to make a difference in their personal life, school, career, and community. Meet Marc Mero.

Send us a textBorn in North Carolina Nick Searcy is one of the best actors working in Film and TV. His filmography is extensive. As of 2018, he has been in 5 films that were Oscar nominated for Best Picture: The Prince of Tides (1991), The Fugitive (1993), Moneyball (2011), The Shape of Water (2017), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). The Shape of Water is a Best Picture winner. Meet Nick Searcy.

Send us a textRandy Havens is an actor and a life long resident of Georgia. His portrayal of Scott Clarke remains one of the most beloved on television in recent memory. Randy's other credits include Halt and Catch Fire and Archer. Randy has some amazing projects on the Horizon which include Godzilla King of The Monsters, Boy Erased, The Front Runner and Instant Family.  Meet the affable: Randy Havens

Send us a textPhil Burke attended the American Academy Of Dramatic Arts in New York, on a Board of Trustees Scholarship. He graduated with an Associates Degree in Fine Arts in 2003. Burke continued his acting training at various performing workshops and studios throughout New York. On stage, Phil Burke holds a noticeable list of leading-roles to his credit while holding mixed work in leading and supporting roles on the screen. Burke's screen debut was in 2005 and since that year, he has performed in various films and on numerous television series. Notable television series of the latter 2000s include The Good Wife (2009) and Hell on Wheels (2011) on which he held a recurring role.Meet the very funny. Very cool: Phil Burke.

Send us a text"While working on the Mars Pathfinder mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, I came to a fork in the road. It was a moment when I had to decide whether to move out of my comfort zone and take a risk.NASA was putting together a 25-person launch team that would temporarily move from California to Florida near the Kennedy Space Center. All of my best buddies were going to be on this team. I knew it was going to be a “work hard, play hard” scenario, and I really wanted to go.Up until that point I had been working as the lead for the simulation software that was used to prepare for the mission. At one point, a colleague and I were tasked with fixing the flight simulation code, including the star scanner—the eyeball of the spacecraft. The flight simulation code fakes out the spacecraft so it thinks it’s flying to Mars when it’s really sitting in the lab in Pasadena. The work had fallen nine months behind schedule, and my teammate Miguel and I had been given eight wee

Send us a textJIM FLORENTINE is a stand-up comedian, TV host, actor, podcaster and voice artist. He is best known for co-hosting VH1 Classic's heavy metal talk show series "That Metal Show" that ran from 2008-2015. JIM FLORENTINE is also known for his work on Comedy Central's show Crank Yankers where he performed the voice of Special Ed and Bobby Fletcher. Recently, JIM FLORENTINE has appeared in the hit movie Trainwreck as the one night stand guy and on the critically acclaimed TV series Inside Amy Schumer and Louie on FX. He was submitted for an Emmy for best supporting actor for his role of Kenny on Louie. JIM FLORENTINE appeared on an episode of Girls in 2014. JIM FLORENTINE also appears in the feature film "A Little Help" starring Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesley of The Office). JIM FLORENTINE plays the character Brian, who is Jenna Fischer's love interest in the film. A Little Help won best film in several different film festivals. JIM FLORENTINE played a pimp on an episode

Send us a textRobert C. Treveiler is an extremely talented actor who has been in some of the best movies in history. These include The Mist, The Accountant, Prisoners and Sully. Robert's TV resume is quite length and includes amazing series like Banshee and Ozark.Meet: Robert C. Treveiler. 

Send us a textA few minutes with iconic actor Tom Berenger.

Send us a textLael Wilcox is an Ultra-Endurance Cyclist who has won both the Trans Am Bike Race and The Tour Divide. She was the first American to win the Trans Am and the first woman to win the Tour Divide. She also set world records for her time on the Baja Divide route. She is considered by many to be the best endurance cyclist in the world. Meet: Lael Wilcox 

Send us a textA look at the latest in movies, televison and streaming servies!Welcome to the Summer of Solo Special!

Send us a textMichael Tourek was Born in Charleston, SC, raised in Omaha, NE, Michael came about acting at young age. Some of his fondest memories are performing with his local community theatre. After spending a number of years in NYC, Michael moved to Greensboro, NC where his career took an interesting turn. Michael is still extremely active in his acting, however, he now finds his greatest successes in raising his two beautiful children Grace and Isaac.Some of Michaels credits include: Ozark, Office Christmas Party, Logan Lucky and Boss Level which will be released later in the year. Meet Michael Tourek!

Send us a textDoug and I compose a list of 5 fantastic actors that have never been nomintaed for an Academy Award, plus a Wild Card! Enjoy, Breaking Down 8!

Send us a textGary Stevens was born in Caldwell, Idaho, on March 6, 1963. He began working for his horse trainer father, Ron, as a groom at age 8. By the time he was 14, Stevens was riding American Quarter Horses.    Stevens began his career as a thoroughbred rider in 1979 at Les Bois Park in Boise, Idaho, winning on his first mount. From there, he soon became a leading rider in Washington and then California. By 1985, Stevens had made a name for himself at the larger tracks and was riding primarily in Southern California.    Stevens burst upon the national scene by winning the Kentucky Derby in 1988 with Hall of Famer Winning Colors He won the Derby again in 1995 with Thunder Gulch and also in 1997 with Hall of Famer Silver Charm.    Along with his three victories in the Kentucky Derby, Stevens won the Preakness Stakes three times (with Silver Charm in 1997, with Hall of Famer Point Given in 2001 and with Oxbow in 2013), the Belmont Stakes three times (with Thunder Gulch in 1995, Victory Gallop in 1998 and P

Send us a textCecil Garner quit his job as an ISGN mortgage loan processor to pursue a unique career: He hauls a mock-up prison set featuring a 16-foot guard tower, hires a zombie (so to speak), and poses for photos with fans of AMC's "The Walking Dead."Garner boasts the genetics to pull it off. The 43-year-old professional cosplayer is a dead ringer (pardon the pun) for Rick Grimes, the star of the smash television series "The Walking Dead" played by British actor Andrew Lincoln.Meet: Cecil Garner.

Send us a textRob Schmidt is an American film director and writer. His film credits include Wrong Turn and Crime and Punishment in Suburbia.  Meet: Rob Schmidt.

Send us a textLennie James was born in Nottingham to Trinidadian parents, and grew up in South London. His mother, Phyllis Mary James, died when he was 12. Lennie and his older brother went into a council children's home. When he was 16 he was fostered with a social worker who had two older children, and they remain very close. Within a year Lennie began writing plays (Storm Damage was broadcast by the BBC in 2000 and won a Royal Television Society (RTS) award in 2001). Lennie received his training at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama from which he graduated in 1988.Lennie has an amazing and lengthy filmography and his portrayal of Morgan Jones on The Walking Dead remains one of the best performances of a character in Television History.Meet the Iconic and Amazing: Lennie James.

Send us a textThe Black Cowboy is a look at a little known chapter in the history of the United States. It is a story that illuminates the often overlooked people who contributed to the building of the ideal that is the American dream. This documentary will tell those stories from the past to the present. It is the riveting story of the past and present day Black Cowboy.  Rarely seen outside Oklahoma boundaries and never before explored this intensely in film, The Black Cowboy searches to understand the links that connect the development of the American West, the rodeo tradition, and the unbroken spirit of Black Americans emerging from slavery in the 1860s and immigrate to Oklahoma to create new lives on their own terms;  free and open as the West was promised to all Americans.   Black history is American history and The Black Cowboy seeks to convey this to a broader audience.

Send us a textThere have been many powerhouses who competed in the ring, but few were any stronger than the man known as "The Polish Power," Ivan Putski. Although he rarely was the biggest Superstar in a battle, the Krakow, Poland native's tremendous strength, power and quickness allowed him to go toe-to-toe with the sport's best and usually come out on top.Putski's family emigrated from Poland to Texas when Ivan was just a boy, and Ivan began his sports-entertainment career there. Prior to coming to WWE, Putski won multiple regional NWA Tag Team Championships in the Southwest United States, most notable the NWA American Tag Team Titles with fellow Texas Legend Jose Lothario (who would go on to train future legend Shawn Michaels).Putski came to WWE in the 1970s, establishing lengthy rivalries with some of the dirtiest grapplers in the game, including Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen and Ivan Koloff. More often than not, his opponents would challenge him to some type of strength competition,

Send us a textDavid Newell is an American television actor known primarily for his portrayal of Mr. McFeely, the delivery man on Mister Rogers Neighborhood and works in the public relations department of the Fred Rogers Company (the entity responsible for all rights relating to the program, and other series currently in production from the company). His character's most famous catchphrase was "Speedy Delivery!" He toured the country until he retired in 2015, promoting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as Mr. McFeely.