WJW Fox 8 sportscaster PJ Ziegler was reporting daily for our Nexstar tv chain of 200 stations during Super Bowl preparation week in Miami. It was a marathon and he handled it greatly. He did 300 live reports. How did he keep straight all the different markets he dealt with? How were the logistics for such a big undertaking.? Also, we chat about the state of the Browns and how the rest of the nation thinks of the Browns operation.
Jared Beasley is an award winning author. His recent book, the Endurance Artist, chronicles, the story of Gary Cantrell of Tennessee, a man who has created some of the toughest and most unique ultra endurance races in the world. His Barkley Marathons race each year is legendary in reputation and the concept of Backyard Ultra’s has captivated the imagination of a lot of the ultrarunning community . Beasley has written for the New York Times, The Guardian, Canadian Running , Outside, and Ultrarunning Magazine. Also, see my October 7th episode with ultra running legend Harvey Lewis.
Dave Rastoka is a 1990 graduate of John Carroll University and a former multiple time all American football player. He played high school football at Lake Catholic high school in Mentor, Ohio. Rastoka has owned and operated several companies that help people with disabilities live better lives. Recently, John Carroll University renamed their athletic Hall of Fame, the Dave Rastoka Sports Hall of Fame.
Marc Bona is an author of 4 books, including Not Your Average Joe, the Joe Thomas story, co-written with Dan Murphy. Our conversation centers about some sports nuggets found in another book, The Hidden History of Cleveland Sports. Bona is a features writer for Cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer. Marc is a proud graduate of the University of Iowa .
Tianna Madison is a three time Olympic gold medalist in track and field. She won Olympic gold as part of the 4 x 100 relay team in both 2012 and 2016. She won Olympic gold in the long jump in 2016. She is an Elyria, Ohio high school product, who was wildly successful in high school. In 2005, at age 19, she won the world championships in the long jump. Our discussion was about navigating the downtime in her career, the feelings of life not being worth living, and how she not only rebounded, but sees it as her life‘s mission to help others be their best. She will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on December 2.
Harvey Lewis, a high school teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio, is recognized as one of the greatest ultramarathoners in the world. The unassuming 49 year-old set a world backyard ultra last man standing record of 450 miles in 2023. He is back this October to compete once again in Tennessee. Lewis excels in a lot of different type races , either , 24 hour competitions or 100 milers or grueling , punishing events like the Badwater 135 where he has won twice. Lewis came up to Brunswick Ohio to help crew for his wife Kelly who was running in the NEO24 ultra marathon.
This episode looks into the greatness of college basketball stand out Wanda Ford, who played years before the WNBA started and who is one of many elite athletes from East Tech high school in Cleveland Ohio. East Tech has sent the likes of Jesse Owens to greatness and many others. This December, Wanda Ford will be inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on a night where the Hall of Fame itself will debut. The first physical structure housing Sports greatness in Cleveland, Ohio.
Josh Fenick Is a sophomore football standout & multiple-sport athlete at Eastlake North high school in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. At age 6, a case of strep throat became much more ominous. Josh was dealing with chronic kidney disease. There was a point where he might not have been able to play sports again. He was on a walker. But he recovered and has proven to be one of the strongest high school football players around.He’s an honors student, and a team leader at a very young age. The conversation is about family, faith and keeping a positive mindset.
Alec Cline is an ultra runner who has achieved a great deal of success in Ohio and the Midwest. Cline has notched several wins at the 100 mile and 50 mile level in 2025 alone. The 29 year old from Canton won Burning River 100, Eagle Up 100, Mohican 100, Tuscazoar 100 , and High Lea .He notched a 2nd at Eastern States and 3rd at the Georgia Death Race. He served with the United States Marines.
This weeks episode examines some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of one of the most successful high school football programs, not just in the state of Ohio, but in the country. Small Kirtland high school in Lake County Ohio. Their head coach , Tiger Laverde has posted a 246 and 21 record with 7 state titles in 20 seasons. Sportswriter John Kampf from the Willoughby News-Herald knows this program inside and out. Search archives for 2019 interview with Tiger LaVerde as well as
This episode harkens back to the day I was able to fly with the Navy’s Blue Angels here in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the highlights of my nearly 50 years as a television sportscaster. On that day, one of the other individuals to get a ride was NASA Legend Gene Kranz. This is my recollection of the day and the significance of just who and what Gene Krantz represents.
Stacey Bell Lynn spent more than 20 years in local news from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio and beyond. She has won multiple Emmy awards and a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award. Married to NFL assistant coach and one time head coach Anthony Lynn, Stacey hosts a podcast, Super wives of the NFL. She is the co founder of the Lynn Family Foundation.
This episode deals with my interview with Jim McCarthy, writer and producer for the documentary called Mr. Football. It centers around the 2004 year at Benedictine high school in Cleveland Ohio. One promising athlete on the reigning State Champion team is shot dead and two of his teammates, including Mr. Football in the state of Ohio, Ray Williams, are charged with murder and aggravated robbery. How did the football community react? The film, coming out Aug 26th explores the brotherhood on the team and what became of Ray Williams
Adam Popp is a retired Air Force veteran who, in 2007 while serving as an EOD technician in Afghanistan ,lost his right leg when an ordnance went off. It wasn’t until roughly 10 years ago when Popp was fitted for his first running blade. Since then ,the results have been extra extraordinary. He became the first above the knee amputee to finish a 100 mile ultra marathon. ( he has five finishes) Just months ago, was the first above the knee amputee to start the Western States 100 mile ultra marathon trail race. He has also finished a full Ironman triathlon.
Tonia Kwiatkowski competed in 3 world figure skating championships for the United States. She was a member of the United States National and International teams for 13 straight years. A United States Olympic alternate in 1998. The Cleveland area native won the World University games figure skating title twice and was a six time United States national figure skating medalist. Kwiatkowski was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Now, Tonia is a figure skating coach, based out of Winterhurst Ice Rink in Lakewood, Ohio, where she trained as an elite skater.
Lance Reisland is a former high school football coach who breaks down Cleveland Browns practices and games for cleveland.com. In this episode we talk about a young receiver Luke Floriea, who Reisland has stated reminds him of Julian Edelman. Also in the episode we hear from Tim Robertson who trained both Edelman and Floriea. Not to be out done because it’s the Cleveland Browns, we talk about the quarterback situation, the defensive line, and why is it there have been so many talents from Kent State University, who have not been drafted, but who went on to have excellent NFL careers. This week the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducts Kent States Antonio Gates, who was never drafted.
Greg Heister has broadcast, produced and hosted coverage of the famous Iditarod Trail dog sled race for more than 30 years and has numerous Emmy Awards to show for it ( he won’t say..we estimate upper teens). He has hosted a television show, Seasons on the Fly on the Discovery Channel for more than 20 years and he has been the play-by-play voice of Gonzaga basketball for numerous seasons. We talk about the extreme conditions of the Iditarod and what miraculous and incredible athletes both the dogs and the mushers are. We also talk Zaga hoops, and how he made a name along his career path. Greg, like yours truly, is an Ashland College graduate. He is a native of Portville, New York, near St. Bonaventure University .
Rickey Jackson is a Cleveland Ohio man who spent 39 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Set free in 2014 Jackson, along with filmmaker Matt Waldeck combined their talents to create a film called “Lovely Jackson” that recalled everything that led up to the crime, his long incarceration, his release, and new life. Waldeck, is a St. Ignatius graduate and a creative force behind Zodiac features. The film is on Amazon Prime
Jessica Eye is a retired UFC fighter, now dipping her talents into the world of bareknuckle fighting. This episode comes from the Telich Talks vault of December 2023. She recounts the traumatic upbringing she had, which helped pave the way towards her career as one of the early / dominant female competitors in MMA.
Carl Monday has been an investigative Journalist on Cleveland TV since 1979, having won an incredible 50 Emmy Awards. Born, Carl Stylinski, he changed his name to Carl Monday in college and made the switch legal in 1972. He remains active in the business, presenting 3 investigations yearly for WJW Fox 8. He and his wife Sandy celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2024.