MiddleGround: The Podcast

Big Ten Network’s Chris Malcolm joins us to talk digital media, sports, the fading newspaper business, the identity of Bagboy and the respective power of facial hair and a bad haircut. Also this week: A new Bumble Brief, fresh DickPicks (and a DP Hall of Famer) Chris Malcolm is the director of digital content for the Big Ten Network, the premier television network dedicated to Big Ten college sports, seen in over 60 million homes. He also oversees content for BTN.com. He wrote for, edited and helped develop the Chicago Tribune’s popular RedEye and previously contributed to FoxSports.com and ChicagoSports.com, the Tribune’s original web site dedicated to the city’s sports news. Chris is a graduate of the University of Illinois and a rabid Chicago Blackhawks fan. Over 38,000 people follow Chris’ alter ego on Twitter, where he writes as Coach Q's Mustache, giving voice to the hair on the upper lip of Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville. www.BTN.com www.twitter.com/CoachQsMustache MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND on iTunes facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast instagram.com/middleground_the_podcast chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Brian Sterling, lead TV anchor in Grand Rapids, Michigan defends the value of local TV news, the media’s coverage of Trump, and **bonus** does the Humpty Dance. Now that we're back from a mid-summer break, we've got DickPicks and are putting The Tinder Update out of its misery, replaced by a promising young upstart. This week's guest is a good friend of the podcast. Brian Sterling, is the primary news anchor and investigative reporter for NBC affiliate WOOD TV 8. He’s served as a regional correspondent for the Associated Press, NBC News and LIN Media and covered the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, the 2015 US Supreme Court hearings on gay marriage, and Pope Francis's visit to Philadelphia last fall. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press and Michigan Association of Broadcasters for breaking news and reporting. A Detroit-area native, Brian is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University. He started his career as a radio news anchor and sports anchor for the Michigan News Network and was the chief political reporter for WILX-TV in Lansing, Mich. Watch Brian on WOOD-TV, Channel 8 in Grand Rapids or catch him at: www.woodtv.com twitter.com/bristerling MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND on iTunes. facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Gary Reid, a radio and broadcasting legend in Michigan, built the country’s most successful college radio station. He sat down with us to talk the future of radio, the trouble with millennials and seismic shifts in the way we consume music. Also this week: Chris knocks the universe off kilter by going on TWO dates and gets a can’t-miss lesson in dating. Starting as a professional rock drummer and disc jockey in the 60s, Gary Reid began teaching radio production at Michigan State University in 1977 and was eventually handed the reigns of the entire TV and radio broadcasting operation. He’s seen broadcasting grow from the black and white, personality-dominated days of Walter Cronkite to the banning of George Carlin’s 7 Dirty Words to the explosive growth of services like Spotify and Pandora. Today, he is Director Emeritus of Broadcasting and General Manager of WKAR-TV, WKAR AM/FM, affiliates of PBS and NPR and WDBM-FM. He is an inductee in the Michigan Broadcast Hall of Fame and received their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. Listen to WDBM, Impact 89 at http://impact89fm.org/ WKAR at www.wkar.org MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND on iTunes facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Matt and Cheri Kelly yanked their 15-year old son Malcolm out of school and hit the road for the trip of a lifetime. They left their home in Durango, Colorado earlier this month bound for their first stop in northern California, and they won’t be home for over a year. You think your family road trips seemed long? Poor Malcolm. Don’t make us pull this car over, young man! Will Malcolm make it? Will their Toyota van make it? Will Matt and Cheri’s marriage make it? We’re checking in with them on the road. Also: The British need to get over themselves, Trump wants to be Prime Minister, the NBA Finals were fixed, the NRA sucks, and all of them show up in this week’s DickPicks. The Kelly Family can be found at: www.ChefMalcolmKelly.com IG: chefmalcolmkelly twitter.com/chefmalcolmk MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND on iTunes (please) facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Jim Harold is the king of tales of the bizarre and unexplained. He is America’s foremost paranormal podcast host. With not one, but two popular podcasts, The Paranormal Podcast and Jim Harold’s Campfire, Jim’s stories have been heard and read all around the world, with over 20 million downloads. In October 2015, both of Jim’s podcasts reached the Top 100 of ALL podcasts on iTunes. This guy’s our friggin hero. Jim is also the author of the Campfire book series. The first four books in the series have been #1 Supernatural Best Sellers on Kindle and Campfire 5 comes out this fall. Jim has worked in the radio and technology industries and lives in Ohio with his wife and two daughters. Also this week: Mr. Hockey, The Greatest, Hillary, a Tinder Update, DickPicks and a quick Family Feud. Check out Jim at: jimharold.com and jimharold.net twitter.com/THEJimHarold facebook.com/jimharold email: jim@jimharold.com MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND on iTunes facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

She’s a “fem-dom humiliatrix” and at 27, Ceara has built a career of fulfilling men’s fantasies by degrading, punishing and humiliating them. But here’s the crazy part – not only does she do it while clothed, she sells those soiled, nasty ass clothes and underwear to those same men, along with any other bodily waste or fluid they want. You too can have a pile of her toenail clippings. But it’ll cost you. Before you judge, listen to a whip smart, articulate young woman give solid dating advice and talk about the business she runs and the world that makes it feasible. Lurid? Sure. Disgusting? To most. But somewhere right now, some dude is jerking off to a Ceara video, piece of clothing, or… well, you’ll see. And you’ll never forget it. Trust us. Also this week: Transgenders, our date with the zombie, a visit from our IT guy and of course DickPicks. Check out Ceara at: www.cearalynch.com twitter.com/cearalynch IG: cearalynch Ceara’s Kickstarter Film Project: www.kickstarter.com/projects/ruinme/ruin-me MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes and Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast chrisandchrismg@gmail.com IG: middleground_the_podcast

The response to “M” (Ep. 8) and her relationship was overwhelming, so we turn to V to give us her perspective from the eyes of woman who happily grants to her husband all power and authority over her and her body. Also this week: Weekend plans with a zombie, those Brits hosting American latenight talk shows (WTF), and DickPicks! But V is the highlight for sure. In her 40s, married for 15 years, with one child, and living in Texas, she has given herself over to the “most fantastic man in the world.” And yes, she would lick his feet if he asked (seriously), but he’s so fantastic, he would never ask. V is a staunch proponent of a woman’s freedom to choose how she lives her life and she feels no need to defend hers. She’s sassy, sexy, smart and yes, she has sisters, but dammit, we have dibs. BDSM may sound nuts to you, but V makes it seem like we’re the ones that’re missing out on something. After this, you may want to put your vanilla-ness behind you. MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

He's a dreamer and a schemer who just thinks harder than most people. Working in IT and turning 40 combined to bring on a midlife crisis that inspired his creative spirit and changed his life and the lives of his wife and four children. After five years and over 80 performances, The Pig and Weasel is going strong and so is its creator - making ideas pop and dreams fly. Also: A Tinder Update, DickPicks and Donald Trump calls in to the show! (I know, right?!) TODD ROGERS has learned to apply the collective knowledge of the first half of his life to enrich and propel him through the second half. He sees potential and motivation where most people never bother to look. Yeah, he works in corporate America as a 9-to-5er, but that’s not going to keep him from starting a puppet troupe, or living in an artist commune, or making his own bowties, or inventing a better crap digester or starting a hotel chain for neo-nomads. We told you. This guy thinks harder than you and me. And you’re going to like him. www.thepigandweasel.com/ www.facebook.com/thepigandweasel/ www.twitter.com/pigandweasel The Pig & Weasel featured on WBBM-TV, Chicago http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/19/skokie-couple-turns-living-room-into-performance-venue/ Jenn Grinels Live at The Pig & Weasel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBk2zldb9CM MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes and Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Former MSU great Blair White talks about earning his way on to Michigan State’s football team, becoming a star and then playing with Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts before giving it all up to go back to school to become an orthodontist. Also: The Tinder Box, building fences, and DickPicks (Jay-Z cheated on Beyonce? WTF!) BLAIR WHITE Not highly recruited coming out of Saginaw, Michigan, Blair White went to Michigan State as a freshman in 2005 hoping for a spot on the football roster. He got one – listed 8th on the depth chart as a receiver. By his junior season he was a fulltime starter who became a star. His senior year, he was the Spartans leading receiver and tied for the Big Ten lead in touchdown catches. Undrafted out of college, the Indianapolis Colts signed White in 2010. That season, he caught his first pass in his first game for a touchdown from future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. It would prove to be one of the highlights of a short career, as Blair suffered back injuries that forced him into retirement at age 25 during only his second season in the NFL. Undaunted, he returned to school to become a dentist and next month will graduate from University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. Dr. Blair White will go back to school for two more years to become an orthodontist. There is no better example of perseverance and successfully reinventing oneself in the face of adversity. Blair shares some stories of playing with Manning - one of the all-time greats, the bitter rivalry between MSU and UM, playing for Coach Jim Caldwell (now head coach of the Detroit Lions), and finding out there’s more to life than football. MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

We’re charmed by (and flirt with) actress/comedian/singer/model/social media maven/waitress and expert networker AMANDA GAVIN. We also talk Trump, Tinder, and roll out a new segment: DickPicks! You don’t want to miss this one because Amanda’s on the cusp – that’s right, the g*ddamn cusp of fame and untold riches and we caught her while she'll still return our calls. She hangs around LA’s Comedy Store and Laugh Factory, but everywhere she goes is cool, because she makes it cool (unless Andy Dick is there and offers to let her sleep at his place. Sooo not cool.) She’s currently working backstage on NBC's THE VOICE and she's a new friend of MiddleGround. We’re proud to introduce her to you Groundlings. (John Stamos, eat your heart out.) Follow Amanda on Twitter: twitter.com/atothegav MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

He's covered MSU basketball and football for the better part of 16 years, a dream job for an MSU alum, but now he's leaving for Tennessee. We find out why. Also: Chris's B&B weekend, a Tinder Update (a date!), and a farewell to Prince. JOE REXRODE Being a sportswriter today means wrestling with social media, feeding the interweb machine, managing fans' obsession with college recruiting, and constantly feeling heat from your competition. But covering MSU’s Hall of Fame basketball coach Tom Izzo, and football coach Mark Dantonio isn’t a bad gig. Before packing the car and heading south to be a columnist for the Nashville Tennessean, Joe shares his thoughts on the future of college sports, the newspaper business, the MSU/UM rivalry and the cheesy 70s song he loves most. Joe’s final blog post for the Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/joe-rexrode/2016/04/10/hey-joe-top-10-now-final-parting-shots/82876652/ Joe’s first column for The Tennessean: http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2016/04/25/columnist-joe-rexrode-hello-nashville/83391568/ MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

“M” loves to be spanked, worships her daddy (literally), AND their shared girlfriend. She is a 20-year old college student who enjoys a nice pinot, long walks on the beach, being tied to the bed, and punishing slaps to the face. Seriously. The world of BDSM is fascinating, titillating, and perplexing to some people, but M will explain it all for you, because “it’s always been inside her" (her words). Also: A Tinder Update (finally, good news), it’s "snaining" outside and OJ is found not guilty (again). MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

He immigrated to the US from Egypt when he was 17. Decades later, with a successful career, a beautiful (younger and white) wife and two gorgeous teenage daughters, he’s just as American as you and apple pie. Yes, the US offers unlimited opportunity for those coming here looking for a better life, but Americans can be cruel, naïve, and let’s face it…dickheads. With a name like USAMA TAWFIK, you’d go by Sam too. And having dark skin and black hair doesn’t mean you’re rocking Islam or spying for the Taliban. Even so, Sam’s take on illegal immigration may surprise you. Also: Chris did something stupid, college basketball is over (good riddance!) and Wisconsin gives a giant middle finger to the presidential race. Tweet SAM TAWFIK: twitter.com/samtawfik MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Jenny's made a career of helping as many people as possible. As the former head of regional chapters of the YWCA, Head Start, Susan G Komen for the Cure, and the Lakeland Health Foundation, JENNY MINER is a dedicated advocate for women, LGBT, victims of domestic violence, racism, child abuse, and disadvantaged minorities in southwest Michigan. Yeah, but she grew up an upper class white girl in a nice leafy suburb of Grand Rapids. And currently she’s Executive Director of Water Street Glassworks, a nonprofit school for the arts in Benton Harbor. Huh? Fear not, she’ll explain it all for us. Also this week: Vacation is over and we’re both still coping with Michigan State’s shocking ouster from the NCAA Tournament. March Madness, indeed. Maybe a visit to a Russian bathhouse for a rubdown from a guy named Vasili will help…or attending Easter “Ass Mass.” Kelsch needs all the help he can get since this podcast is now affecting his day job. JENNY MINER Jenny serves on Benton Harbor’s Downtown Development Authority, is treasurer of the Twin City Players local theatre group, and was selected to participate in the first nationwide Listen to Your Mother program in 2015 (feel inadequate yet?). She’s also a certified grant writer, a non-profit consultant, a wife, and the mother of two teenage girls. AND she was able to accomplish all this despite the scars of dating one of us in high school. Check out: WATER STREET GLASSWORKS: www.waterstreetglassworks.org TWIN CITY PLAYERS: www.twincityplayers.org LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER: www.listentoyourmothershow.com Jenny’s LTYM appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT4H9B-8L_c MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

A peek into Hef's world. Remember when Playboy published pics of naked women? 51-year old Chicagoan Scott Anderson is a former art director of PLAYBOY magazine. We talk the slow decline of an American icon, debate pubic hair fashion trends, and Scott reveals his favorite all-time centerfold (and it's not Pam or Jenny). Also this week: A little March Madness, more Trump (Still? WTF), Chris's big trip to California to introduce "her" to his family, which raises a question...how young is too young? SCOTT ANDERSON After 16 years of helping Hefner sell sex and skin, Scott and many others were let go in 2013 as the magazine got saggy and wrinkly with age. But then what does a guy do? When you've been to the top of the hill(s), where do you go from there? Scott is a talented artist, photographer, producer, director, storyteller, actor, marketer, and scientist who is still reinventing himself, everyday. He's got ideas, man. You'll see. Check him out: Instagram: ScottyRocks Twitter: ScottyRock Website: http://www.thedogandponyshow.tv/ Portfolio: http://5659design.com/ (and if you're so inclined, www.karenmcdougal.com) MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

Rick Broida, writer of CNET's popular CHEAPSKATE blog, brings daily deals and gadget reviews (Soundscoopz?) to dedicated techno-geeks and bargain hunters. Rick talks tech, the awesomeness (and suckiness) of working at home, and searching for new things to get excited about (other than porn), like TRAPPED IN A ROOM WITH A ZOMBIE. Also this week: Nancy Reagan and the end of an era of political civility, dignity and class; Calvin Johnson walking away from football, the Detroit Lions, and losing (while he still can); Peyton Manning, retiring at the top after a kick ass career; and winter stepping aside for the drunken green-soaked festival that is St. Patrick's Day. Check out: CHEAPSKATE: http://www.cnet.com/cheapskate/ TRAPPED IN A ROOM WITH A ZOMBIE: http://www.escapeplansmichigan.com/ MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast - Chris and Chris are two guys in their 40s trying to find some balance and figure shit out. We’re on iTunes now - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

"Roy" witnessed a miracle when he was wounded in Vietnam, got his girlfriend pregnant and gave up the child for adoption -- before the age of 19. After two failed marriages, at age 66 and retired, he's finally found happiness and recently started a search for his birth son. Roy's life adventure continues, and he shares it with us on MiddleGround. Also: Trump again?!, the Erin Andrews lawsuit (did you watch the videos?), and astronaut Scott Kelly's return to Earth (but more importantly, has anyone ever had sex in space?). MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

The college hook-up culture and dating older men. "Rachel"(not her real name) shares her story of living in Chicago with her wealthy father in early childhood, being trotted out for show at his wild parties, and then being sent to finish high school living with her mother in a small Michigan town. (Culture shock, anyone?) She talks about the sexual expectations that face today's female college students and her desire to date more mature men. Also this week: We talk Trump (and CK gives us a little of the Donald), Tinder vs. Match (one is definitely more dirtbaggy), The People vs. OJ Simpson (and the ridiculous casting! Nathan Lane? John Travolta?! Really?)and living through that whole OJ trial (WTF). MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast - Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to find some balance and figure shit out. We’re on iTunes and Stitcher now - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com

In a "historic" debut, Chris & Chris introduce MiddleGround: The Podcast (and one of them admits he's only doing it to meet women. How's that working out so far?) Their first ever guest is Darryl Kurylo, an LA-based voiceover artist who gave up a potentially brilliant career as a dentist (!) to give Hollywood a shot at age 19. Thirty years later, he's still there and doing just fine, thank you. But would he do it all over again?...... Check out Darryl's credits on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0476117/ His audiobooks available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/h4nogwy MIDDLEGROUND: The Podcast – Midlife. Midwest. Middle of Everything. Chris & Chris are a couple guys trying to sort shit out and find some balance. Now on iTunes AND Stitcher - Subscribe to MIDDLEGROUND! facebook.com/middlegroundthepodcast twitter.com/MGthepodcast IG: middleground_the_podcast Email us! chrisandchrismg@gmail.com