Bonus: Stephen Saux

have to pay for that. Listen, those of you who follow me on social media know that I am a huge football fan. That's right. But did you know that a lot of the Office family actually love football too. In fact, we have our own fantasy football league that has been going on for seven teen years, an official The Office Fantasy Football League. Now that seventeen years. That's

longer than some of you have been alive. Okay, Now, the competition started way back while we were filming the show like season two ish, And let me tell you, our directors hated it. Our assistant directors really hated it because nothing interrupted our ability to do our jobs like our obsession with beating each other. Yes, defeating like pummeling

one another. Seriously, we would spend as much time on fantasy football as we did on writing scripts or finding props or memorizing lines, and you know something, those were some of my favorite times on set. So in honor of our fantasy football crew, I'm gonna be launching a special Thursday edition of the podcast called The Office Deep Dive Fantasy Edition, where I bring on special guests and members of our league to talk all things the Office

and well maybe a little football too. You'll know some of the crew like Rain Wilson, John Krasinski. Others you're gonna be meeting for the very first time, like my guest today. So to kick things off, we're gonna bring in a very special person. He is the glue that kept our league together and a man I am so lucky to call my friend, our commissioner, Stephen Socks. This is a man who's really an unsung hero of the show and a huge part of our office family. Stephen

was a stand in for six years. He appeared in several episodes as the character Justin Spitzer, and he was actually one of the last people to say goodbye to Steve on camera. He was on set with us day in and day out, in his words, biting his wallet during takes so he wouldn't ruin a shot, laughing and literally watching his own family grow up with the office. But most importantly, he has kept our fantasy football league

together all of these years. So please join me in giving a warm, deep dive welcome to the man who well has won the league, but also one all of our hearts, the amazing Stephen Socks, Bubble and Squeak. I love Bubble and squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cook at every month lift over from the nuttyle Brian there is what's Stephen? So good to see you? I know, it's it's been so long, it has I mean, we've talked and texted, but to see you is is really nice.

I know what happened to your hair? Well it's not even more like you Yeah, well there you go. You know I always I was always bald. I just always wore a black cap backwards for lighting on the set, just to make sure that I didn't except for you, I take it off um and and maybe Creed because he had really light hair too, And so you know, that was the way I kept my job is to have a little dark on my top of my head. I know, it just looks shinier. Let's just it just

looks shine. Maybe you polished it this morning. Getting older, Brian, Yeah, you know, we sure are. Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you. What um what So you're good. You survived, Yes, yeah, we have survived. It was it was you know. I think for parents, it's the hardest part of the whole thing is you're trying to protect your kids in so many different ways, not only health wise, but you know, mental health wise with school and uh we did distance learning for the last year and a

half and it's it's been good for them. That's that's not the case for a lot of kids. I would say, oh, that's great. Well, and I feel like your family, I mean, we'll talk about that in a little bit, but your family was so much a part of the office experience as well. I just saw a video Rain Wilson sent of his son Walter jamming with Creed and I started

thinking about your family as well. And Walter, I mean, Walter is like a grown up now and he was the reason I know his age is because he was born when we were shooting the first four episodes of The Office. It's in credible. We had that. We had that on the set. We had, you know, families being made. And I think probably the reason you're thinking that too is to have my wife and I on the set

at the same time. I mean, that was that's the kind of a unique thing to Okay, So now for those people who don't know, how would you describe the job of a stand in, then that no, go ahead, No. A stand in is another screen actress guild job on the set is also known as second team, and we'll will watch the rehearsals of a scene by the actors.

The actors are also called first team, and and usually during the last rehearsal, the camera department will throw down some marks on the like tape marks on the ground, just spots that the actors will land on. That's called blocking. And then after rehearsal, the actors, you know, have some time because the camera and lighting are preparing for the

shot and stuff. So the actors go off and you know, finish up hair and makeup or go over your line or whatever you guys do, and the standings will stand in the places that are that are marked during that blocking and help the director of Photography the DP light the scene and coordinate the movements of the camera and stuff. So so the standard needs to just basically pay attention to what's going on the scene and really get the movements down that the actor was doing. Sometimes, I mean,

on the office, it could be so easy. I mean, there's so many talking heads. You could sit there for forty five minutes. The lighting is pretty much pre set. But it could be kind of complicated. I remember, like Jim and Pam the proposal the proposal was and you weren't there for that, But that's an entire production of the with the with the rain and next the freeway, you know, and at the gas station. You would do like a run through without the actor just to make

sure everything was done. So there were one time actually drove the car into the rain and the cars are going on the freeway and I got out and got to propose and knelt down the and did it before John and Jenna. It was very exciting. Right now, so you watch the rehearsal, you see where everybody's moving, and I know, for example, in the office sometimes adjustments would be made. Now, then would you communicate with the actors any sort of adjustments that that happened. That's a great question,

because you're supposed to give some adjustments. But there's a balance there. You have a balance of two things, what the actor wants to hear from the stand in and also what the director wants to tell the actor himself. So you you learn your your relationship with the actor. Some actors don't really want any kind of instruction other than from a director. Others would love to sit down and get all the details, and they just want to get it all together. Right, Okay, So let's go back

to circa two thousand seven eight ish. What were you doing before the office? I was managing a gym in Santa Monica, and Laurie was in between jobs and she was doing some assistant work for people. Oh yes, Laurie, my wife, and we're both actors, went through Second City here together and and um, we're pursuing acting, looking for a job that was flexible. So she was kind of

running errands for people. And one of the people she was running errands for, uh, Kelly Cantley, an assistant director, and kind of ran out of work for for Laurie to do, and Kelly asked Laurie if she'd liked to do some background on a show she was working on, which happened to be season two of the Office, and so she knew we were Screen Actors Guild members, and so offered that job, and Laurie was like, uh. In fact, I remember Laurie calling me, going, should I do background?

I get, I get, you know, I guess. I go, you're not doing anything. Let's let's do it. Let's let's let's work right. So she did, and that um Booze Cruise was her first was her first episode that season two. That's like mid season two or something, I think early mid season two, but probably our most difficult episode to film was her first episode. She had had problems just getting to set. I remember it was a long beach.

This was kind of before well, I guess I had a cell phone, but I don't know if she had a cell phone. I don't really remember. But we didn't have like ways or you know, Google maps and stuff. So her getting down a long beach, I remember she was calling early early in the morning. She was like, I'm lost, you know, And it was one of these things going is this gonna work out? Is this job gonna work out of were you know, this is the way we're gonna start, and uh, she had a blast.

It was great. Yeah, so she was there as the female stand in for Yeah. Then well they only had This is very weird too, because Screen Actress Guild, usually because it's a union, designates that there'll be a stand in for every actor on a set. And I mean we could have fifteen actors on the scene one time and there was one stand in at that time, a man, and they were like, oh, well, let's get a second

stand in, and so they need a female. And I don't know if it was because of the documentary style or however they got away with with that through the union,

but that's how it was. And they asked Lori about that, and again we were we were like, well, I mean, is it you can have enough time, you know, to audition and stuffing that you know that the kind of idea of the non working actor going, I need to make time for my my auditions and when all this stuff happens and uh, and so she kind of reluctantly,

We're like, okay, let's try this. And again it was the best decision she made, you know, but that was start of season three, and they had two standards at that time, and then you eventually came on. What was the story there? Go ahead, Well, I got to meet you guys, and so there was some rapport there that first her first season as a stand in, and they lost the mail standing. They were looking for someone to fill in, and we got a call from Kelly again

saying would you be interested? And I was so stressed in my job. We were I was managing this gym and Santa Monica. Like I said, I live in Studio City, like near Universal Studios for people that might not know exactly along commute. It's like twenty miles and the gym opens at five am, it closes at midnight. There wasn't a time I was away from the gym, really stressed out, and a new lawry was having a great time. It's a time for us to be together. And that was

really a no brainer for me. Right, so this was your first time standing in. Yeah, I had no idea what I was doing. And and but I mean not only did it, and and as actors that reluctancy that I talked about, you know, doing it because there's this stigma that you're if you're standing in on a show your second team. You may want to be first team, but now everyone sees you as second team. And and

I haven't found that to be true. Not only do you have a chance to show professionalism UM and sometimes acting chops on a set in front of producers, but you meet a lot of great people. I would meet a new director every week. I mean, we had Ken Kopas, Paul Feig, who is like the best dress director in Hollywood. Uh, you know, Jeff Blitz. Harold Remus directed the first time I ever acted on the Office UM with John Favrou. I mean it was and I didn't have LORI had J.

J Abrams. You had J. J Abrams and Josh Weeden. So it was great experience to learn from those directors, but to see camera movement, um, lighting, set decoration. So when you go to make your own project, you kind of know what to do. But also when you're on the set as an actor, you you know what's going on.

I mean, especially after the Office, when there was a time where I was standing in on what's called a multi camp show, which would be your typical comedy uh with a laugh track and shooting at the same time, like Friends or Willow Greys exactly. That isn't something that an actor learns. I mean it is closer to you know, I know you have a theater background like I do.

It's closer to theater, but it still takes some You know, you can go on at your first time as an actor and you can you can act confident in in any job you do. You act confident, you can get away with a lot of stuff. But Um, to really learn what multi cam shooting is and have an idea and know what each camera is doing really helps when you're on the other side of the camera to to know what they're asking of you and how to perform.

Now you your main stand in person, at least for the first four years you were there, was was Steve Carrell. This is Steve's birthday is this week? Happy birthday to Steve. Um. How was it like working with him on the set and and how you know to give people an idea? Actually that that I don't even know. How was he to to talk and work with, you know, between the setups and then going back into the scenes. What did he want to hear? Steve is very professional. He's a

bit quiet on set for the most part. He wouldn't like a lot of adjustments. If there were major things your marks changed, yes, i'll tell you what your market has changed. But um, he was very focused. But I have to say he's the one that I and probably every actor on the show learned the most from. I mean there was a lot of young actors on that set, and not that Steve was old, but he was mature

in his acting and his professionalism. I don't remember him instructing people how to how to do things, but as an example, he showed a lot of people the little

things that that you would just take for granted. Actually if you weren't in the industry, being there on time, know in your lines, having a rapport with the other actor, look, communicate with the other actor in a professional way, and especially when the camera's on that other actor giving a full performance even when it's not your coverage, right, And he was always doing that, and and I've always said it one of my top five favorite people in the world.

I mean, an amazing human being, just a giving man and just a straight up guy. Like you said. As his birthday this week, I get a reminder it's his birthday. I give him a text every year. He never doesn't just text me back right away. I mean when he

left the show, he said, you have my number? What we had played golf, you know John You I mean Chris Workman played with us, right, I remember that, And we had played golf, and so we had exchanged numbers and stuff, and I remember I'm saying, you have my number, you have my email, you need anything, let me know. And you know, at the time, I was like, I don't. I don't know what I'll need and I'm not and I'm not gonna blow it on you know what's on

that I've got this spread? What do you think you know? But uh, actually, actually I've waited a couple of times to say, Okay, this is the time to call um. Well. You know, we've talked a lot about him as an actor, and one of the things that that was unique about him in a way, and I sort of have attributed it to his improv background, was he was, and I mean this with all love and respect, he didn't want

to rehearse. And I always viewed it like he wanted to bring in the performance when it was live because he wanted everybody to be on their toes in a specific way. He did not deliver a ton of performance during the rehearsal. Versus James Spader, another amazing actor who wanted every gesture worked out in advance. So how was that different transitioning from one to the other, How was that different for you? Uh? James Spader wanted as much

input as possible in every facet of the process. When he left to do hair and makeup and there was that forty five minutes of set up, I think in his mind he was thinking, I might be missing something. Right, let me get back and see if there is there anything that you can give me. Is basically what he would. He would just sit and chat, and before he would get to a place where someone could pull him and say we're ready, he would want to pull me to

the side and just let's talk. Um. Also with James, Uh, the writers wrote a lot for Robert California. I mean a lot of big dialogue pieces. Oh man, it was, it was, and and he was incredible at it. Um. But he wanted someone on book at all times. So I had started doing that a couple of seasons in. I would be on book for anybody, but it was really needed. Really, I just got time to sit next to the monitors and get close to the director and

and follow the script. It was fascinating for me. But with James Spader, every word needed to be exactly right. So if he didn't get the line right, he wanted to know what it was and reinforce that. And so that was that was different. Now Steve, you know, got all his lines and would sometimes call for a line. But um, yes, Steve was Steve during rehearsals. He he giggled a little. I remember him giggling a lot because it was funny and he take that time to laugh

and get it out. I mean all that. You see a bunch of outtakes where Steve will laugh you know what, you're hilarious. But uh, he would laugh a lot during scenes because we all enjoyed it and laughed and had fun. You have to remember, when we're recording, we're right there and no matter how funny it is, you can't laugh. It's not like these multi camp shows where you're laughing

the audience is laughing. We're just biting our wallets and the monitor that's right right right, or look and we're and they usually put the monitor pretty close to the scene because the director could run out real quick and say hey, I want to do this, and so you're just like, you know, biting your knuckle, just trying not to laugh sometimes, right, I remember at times people would

be kicked out of the room. Jence Alata specifically comes to mind, like she would just be like, would be like, we're doing a time doing a talking head and she just couldn't and was like jen Leaf, go find go find a monitor somewhere in another room. Um, that's that's really interesting. So James really worked with you before, kind of before, during and after. Yeah, there were times where I would go into his trailer and we just run lines, you know, because I would have some time off, or

we do it during lunch or whatever, and it was great. Um, there were times where you would hand me the script say hey, run this with me, or or Rain would do that. But you know, these were big, meaty dialogues. These were like a little mini um like audition pieces. You know, there were long, there was a lot of words, and he did so well with them, you know, he really did. Yeah, do you have a favorite episode of the show that you worked on? Well, I mean, Benni

Hannah Christmas. For multiple reasons, it's it's even as just a fan of the show. I believe it's the best Christmas episode. It's during a peak time of the show. And uh and and I did get a line on the show. So that was that made it close, you know, closer to my heart. But it's a really great episode. Now did you know that you were going to speak? Was? I don't remember? Were you cast in advance of that? No?

So Kelly can'tly called me to say there was quote unquote a featured background uh extra that was going to be at the bending on the table and it was not scripted to have any lines this character. But she didn't see a reason she didn't. I guess she had worked with prepped with Harold Ramos the week before and said this person is going to have to talk, and so she said it's a good chance. So would you want to do it? I go yes? So it's so funny, right,

people go, would you would you do this for me? Like, like you would you do this this podcast? For me? Yeah? Brian, I'm there. Um And so when when I got on the set, um it was just doing background. We walked through it and in the very first UH rehearsal, held Muskin to me and said, what, wouldn't you want to say something? And I said, yeah, I think so, and so I'll deliver a four page monologue for you, Harold would it didn't matter? I was like, oh if I

just say one word because it's so great. Um, and your character's name Justin Spitzer, Justin Spitzer. Isn't that funny? So Justin Spitzer was a writer on the show, and they named the character Justin's. Now is this Does this get confusing for you with your IMDb page that you're you're Justin Spitzer on the office but not the writer Justin Spitzer. I don't know. I think it's so funny.

It is funny. In fact, I remember as I worked on the show more and there were a couple other times where I could be in front of the camera. I just legitimately, and this is probably not the thing to do as an actor who's who's basically given some roles. I went to Greg Daniels, created the show, and I said,

how how is this Justin Spitcher character? Now? Part of that he was at the Benihanna Christmas table and nobody knew him, but now he's he's in uh the warehouse during UH you know, uh, crime maide crime made Yeah, and um, and in an elevator, and and and Greg always had a complete backstory contrived of Yeah, there's no reason why this guy couldn't have He's in Scranton, you know he could. How many questions that should never be asked by an actor? Are you sure I'm needed here?

How many times did Justin Spitzer appear in the office actually being seen? I think, as it was all said and done, only three or four times. I think four times you can actually see me with dialogue. But then there were then for me as an actor, there were a lot of voiceovers two that were available because um,

there was no loop group for the office. UM. A loop group is a group of five or six people who go into a sound booth and do all the the sounds of a crowd, a little individual, Hey over there, and grab one of those Hey Patty, good to see you. You You know that kind of thing. So when the editors would be going through and doing rough cuts of the episodes, I'd get a text saying, Hey, at lunch, could you come over and throw down a line and we'll just see if it works. So it could be

something on a car radio. It could be uh, you know, something that was actually usually scripted, but um, he was like just throwing because I need I need a voice to show it to Greg, but they haven't cast it yet. So it always gave me a chance to do it. And if Greg liked it, he could stay. And if a stage it was mine, which is great or Laurie or Laurie's you know. So, so I think we did end up doing. Um, I just go by like the little residuals now, but I think it's like eight or

nine episodes. But whenever I get whenever I get a big whenever I get a big residual check, I always think of you. Always going if I'm getting a big residual check for that day, you know, big for me, I'm going, Oh, that's how fun to have done a episodes? Um, what was the most challenging episode for you to work on? Mm? Hm, wow, that's a great question. Um. I can't think of any

episodes that were mentally or emotionally challenging. Uh, well, oh that's now I have to say Steve's Steve's last episode. You know, I was gonna say something like it was hot, like when we went went out into the woods, or something, but you know, to be honest, Um, saying goodbye to Steve. It was set up so well for us as a crew. On Thursday, you know, Monday, we shot Monday to Friday. On Thursday of that week, we went to Ontario Airport and shot all the airports stuff and we said goodbye

to Michael Scott. He got on a plane and left and that Friday, the next day was the last day for Steve and we were back at the stages. I feel like that's when we said goodbye to Steve. UM. I was lucky in the fact that in that moment Um it was one of these things going, hey, put a suit on and show up on the last day because I want Greg said, I want to throw you

in the background somewhere and so um. For those that remember Steve's final time and in the office bullpen and he says something to Creed and has a great moment with John and walks to the elevator and goes down the elevator and out to a car and goes to the airport. Well, his last scene is walking into that elevator, which is not a real elevator. Actually we're on the first floor of everything, but the doors just closed, and then the doors that were up on the other stage

and where yeah, it's it's the movie magic. But um, so they had like a FedEx guy type of background character that was going to be in the elevator and walk out of the elevator as Steve was walking in the elevator, and they just put me in with that FedEx guy, and so I would walk out of the elevator, Steve would walk in, and then I just waited in the lobby and the doors closed and we waited and held and they'd say cut and the doors were open. And that last time I remember the doors opened and

he's we knew it was it. And I was the first one, right, I was literally six ft away and I just I just hugged him. You know, Steve, he didn't he he didn't even hesitate. He just hugged me. And uh. It was very emotional, very emotional. But that was probably that was probably the toughest. The Thursday was really emotional too. I mean, it's a great it's a

great ending for that character. I mean it ended up not being the ending but exactly, but you know, he came back, but um, what he takes the microphone when he takes the Lavalier mike off and and that's what she said, and you can't hear him. It's it's brilliant, It's really brilliant. And but but watching him walk away after Pam says goodbye to him was I mean, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. But on camera, it's interesting. You were the second to the other than Pam.

You were the last one to pass him by in the elevator. Yeah, that's right, that's right. Yeah, he um, yeah, it was. It was a special moment because we had gotten close, we had all gotten close, and we didn't want to see this family broken up. We we want I mean, not only do you want to keep working? You know, we we knew Steve leaving uh was a big part of our show. But he was just a wonderful person. He is a wonderful person to just have in your life. The greater loss for the show Steve

Carrell or Michael Scott. M hm. For me, it's Steve. Um. I can always go back and watch Michael Scott. I can always appreciate that character over and over. I mean, I have a thirteen year old daughter now that started binging the office like during a pandemic time, and it was like awesome, and we and we get to the end. Honestly, those last episodes were very painful and emotional, and I was like, oh, and we just start back to the pilot and I can I can go back and see

that and watch that. But I had limited time with Steve. Yeah. Um, so you were on the show five to six years, um, which is a long time to work with the same group of people. How do you feel that the office, the experience that people were were different than other things that you've worked on. You know, Greg Daniels said, and I think you said this in front of everybody. He said that this show was really special and that people work their entire career and don't get a show like this.

Not only nine years on a show, but the group of people, and I didn't appreciate it as much as I do now it It is by far the best show I ever worked on because of the people. I got close A couple of times. There were a couple of shows I worked on I go this, this this is what a great group, but they didn't last and when we didn't have a growth together. I mean, you talk about family when you when you see uh pe Bowl having children, getting married, getting divorced, having deaths in their family,

and you're there for that. That's what made the office so special and made us also close and why we probably communicate and stay together so much. In fact, I just went down to San Juan Capestano this weekend, went to a restaurant and Tad Schultz, who was one of the producer, like an assistant producer, assistant to the producer. I ran into him. He's out, he's not even in that part of the business anymore, and he lives down in San Juan Capiscano. And I was like, and you're

just bonded. And I didn't even spend that much time with Tad. You know, Tad didn't really know a lot of you guys. He's in a he's in a trailer and doing all the post stuff and and all that kind of stuff, not the actual shooting and um, but anytime I see somebody that is from the show, all

we can talk about is the show, you know. I mean, I ran I did UM actually UM did the finale of Be Positive as an actor and I and I was walking back to my trailer and ran into Andy Buckley who was doing another show at Warner Brothers, and I knew he had to be someplace because there were a lot of pas around him going uh andy Andy. But we talked for like forty five minutes, and there's

no way you can. I mean, we talked about you know, golf and football, but we talked about just old times and you you had a family basically that that was that was born our kids, I know. I mean Lori and I were both working on the show full time until we had our first child. And at that point we knew someone was going to stay at home, and

so she did. And there were times though once I had gotten through, because we had we had long seasons, um long hours, you know, twenty three episodes and long hours, so there were times where you know, I wanted some some baby time and my wife wanted some adult time. The pretty this is were amazing at letting us swap off for weeks in a time where Lori could get

a break into civilization, you know, from from babies. I mean, I would say at this point, you are the person most responsible for at least a specific subgroup of people on the show. Stephen is the commissioner of the Office Fantasy Football League. Stephen, this is a lot of work you're talking about wrangling cats. Uh, those those of us, especially the actors on the show. Now we're in year

what year is this now? Seven season? We are about to embark on season seventeen of The Office Fantasy Football League. I can't even believe it. Um, when we started this, there was no online draft that happened. There was no We started doing the draft on a yellow legal pad and the draft would take us weeks. There were no no um for those of you who do fantasy when when it was your turn to draft, you got past the yellow legal pad this is and then you would

have to make your pick. But you might be in the middle of a scene or you might be in the middle of standing in and then have to go be on book and it could take hours, or it could be passed to me and I could have gone home for the day. So it's not until the next day that we picked back this. Yes, um, seventeen years you are the commissioner. Are you excited that we're back? Oh? Of course. And last year we did. We did have some of the guys zoom the draft, which was great.

So we got to talk to each other. Yeah, that was fun and we'll do that again. So I am looking forward to that. I do not look forward to the wrangling of the cats, as you say. I mean we we have a very modest of anti in you know, so getting buy in right and getting getting the money from everyone, um, isn't it isn't a difficult pay for everyone, but it can be really hard to get the money. And to be honest, I've paid out without getting everything in.

But you want to have like you want to make sure everyone is is awake here, you know, like I want to make sure everything I know, everyone's coming back right. But to actually get in touch with twelve other people that are doing all different things and almost half our our group or actors that could be anywhere in the world, I mean, maybe not now with the pandemic is as much.

But I remember trying to get John, and John can be one of the hardest ones to get and oh, I'm kidding and uh and I'm emailing and texting and you know, I'm thinking these things are going to go through. And there was one time where he didn't get back to me for a few days and he said, I'm sorry, I'm in the middle of the Amazon shooting something. I'm like, I had no WiFi. Um okay, so seventeen years now it is there is really in the last I don't know,

eight to ten years. We haven't really had any turnover. But who are the guys who are in now? Myself Rain Wilson, John Krasinski previously mentioned. Uh you Andy Buckley, Andy Buckley, that's right, David Wallace, Owen Ellickson writer a Warren Lieber seen the writer. Yes, Mike Bertolina who was props at the time. He's at pleased now. Chris Workman who I mentioned earlier, but he is um he's a camera operator now, but he was a camera assistant at the time of the show. H Lee Kirk join his

husband husband. He qualified because he directed an episode. He directed an episode that uh, Nick Carbone sound department. And Greg Uberaga, who was one of our favorite pas on the show. And he Greg is now a marshal at the Park golf course. Yes, as one of his jobs, and I know he's loving it. He's an incredible he's an incredible golfer. Yes, he's way better than me. Um okay, who has one the office league the most times. There's no doubt that are most celebrated player or manager is

Warren Leeper's. He did not start until two thousand twelve. He didn't, which I when I look back, I forgot he won his first year. He must be cheating. And then he had just had a three year streak a couple of years ago. So he's he's won four times, um and and then he got a second place. So he's he's placed five times out of nine seasons. How many times have I won? You have not won, Brian, but you have. It feels like you actually had the You had the distinction of placing in the top three

the most, the most. I've placed the most. I'm in the money twice you have gotten second place, and twice you've gotten in third place. So four, well, then then that must mean I'm at least tied with Warren. He's won four times. Oh, I meant place, but not one. I've given Warren the award. You're not Warren, Okay place Aside from Warren, I've placed in the top I placed second and third the most, second, third, the most. But

good news is um Kauzynski's never won. I remember that was that was something that that Rain always would dig him about rain one rain one twice on the third place one time? Yes, okay, what about you? Have you won? You've won, I won in two thousand thirteen, and then I've I've taken second place twice in third place once. Okay, I mean, this is what do the Cubs say? This is my year? You're always there, Brian, You're always right there.

I mean to think that the two times that you were in second place, you want the championship game twice, right, just one game away from the championship game. Two other times, I feel like we're just being nice to me. I know, I had to tell you it is. It is heartbreaking when, like I said, I've I've come in second place twice as well, and when I have lost that game, it's usually around Christmas time. It ruins my Christmas. Yeah, I know,

it probably ruins the Christmas for my family. Is um, how did you how did you get to be a commissioner? It was because nobody else wanted it, that's probably, to be honest, and and I did want it. I mean, I love fantasy football. It's really besides the corralling of everybody and dispensing of a little bit of money. But I'm able to be a facilitator of us staying together. It really is fantastic because there's a lot of ribbing

that goes on between us. We're close like families, so there's a there's no holds bar actually, um, and but that that's been a great way for us to stay together. I mean we, like I said, we run into Andy Buckley. We talked about old times, but we talked about football and I had to be the biggest part of that as I could. Yeah. Well, I will say that last year, I mean, who knew what zoom? Well, I didn't know what zoom was before you know this nonsense that happened.

But that was really fun that we kind of finally did the draft. I know that one year we drafted from the computers. Yeah, so on the bullpen set of the Office when we were shooting the office, we drafted from the computers once or twice. Yeah, well I remember one time and uh, I think we brought like a six pack of beer. There was some beer. Yeah, there was two beers, maybe maybe just a couple. Um. It was fun. But other than that that us getting together

last year, that was that was really fun. So the reigning champion who won last year, Andy Buckley, he beat Warren in the finals. Andy Buckley. Now that he's definitely cheating, right, because it doesn't seem like, you know, when his son helps him, his son, his son. I think the actual uh, the name that you registered as, I believe it is a son's name. So he's using his son's account, I think. But I think he's getting I think he's getting some some help. But yeah, what are some of our best

team names? I know that Chris Workman was a big forty nine Ers fan. Oh, he had so many different about Gore, Yeah, Gore, no more when Gore left. And then mine's always been you know, Stephen socks. I've always been socks it to him and original, cute, clever. Now I guess this makes me like a fuddy duddy. I can't believe I just used the term fuddy duddy. I have been bombers. I just bombed. I don't know. I never do it. Rain He gets really into the names.

Usually it's something slightly perverted. Yes, he's had I don't know what your rating is on your podcast, and it doesn't matter. He's had cut my balls for a but Cooper Cup, you know you could be for for a couple of years. Um, but he just changed it to cut my footballs. So I don't know if he's maybe getting I don't know, he's cleaning he's cleaning it up. I don't know. Um, but yeah, you've always been b

B bombers. And I'd say Rain is the biggest trash talker Rain is, And Rain loves to send you the crappiest trade offers. Oh my god, ever like giving a bite on that, like or he's getting a trade offer from someone else, and he'll come to me and say, what do you think about this? And I'm going, why would Why am I helping you? First of all, I'm the commissioner. Second of all, I'm playing against you in the in the standings, So I've learned actually to help him, Uh,

you know in my own way. Um, I think that we're unique in a way. And this is because I am in other leagues, and I think that the biggest benefit of us and it being seventeen years is there's really no there's no controversy right, Like it feels like in other leagues it's like, well, how many days do you get to accept a draft? Or how many players or this or that, like there's just kind of no nonsense and that all of that stuff has kind of

gone away. There's really no controversy, and the draft order is uniquely determined by always my kids. We always grab I had a done Mifflin hat. We've gotten so many over the years, right, and put everybody's name in a hat, and my kids take turns pulling the the names out of hat, and we always the you know, the first the first pull will be position twelve and will go

all down to the first pick. Which is funny because I have one other league where he'll he'll do a very similar thing, and the first the hat is number one, And I've always had this like problem with that. I'm like, well, that doesn't make any sense. You never say who won first, and then let's let's talk about two, three to twelve.

I mean, that's how you do anything. You would never they don't give the award first place first, and then and then everybody you know, oh, let's wait around for a second place and goes to now let me give you the nominees. No, it made no sense. So I've been picked, uh, you know, last to be twelve in that league, and I've been like I should have been

the first pick. But anyway, it's a pretty unique way, and it's a it's a really great way to get my kids involved in enjoying that and and just seeing the age of the kids as the progress, because I'll videotape it and and send it out to everybody and at least gives a chance for everyone to say, yeah, we are we are getting older. Yes what, Um, I know the answer to this question, but who's your football team? The New Orleans Saints from New Orleans, originally from New Orleans. Yes,

New Orleans. You've got Rain, big Seahawks, John Big Patriots. I might have the Green Bay Packers represented. And I would say we are kind of homers in that way. Now, not a hundred percent, because we all we do take it seriously, but I would say that we all try to get at least somebody. I definitely try to get somebody from the Saints, which has been easy the last

you know, a few years with their their offense. You know, if it's not Drew Brees, I want to get Kamara or I want to get Michael Thomas and that kind of hurt me last year, but um, but you know, I want to be in this group I want to win, but I also we have such a great time. Like when you talk about how there's no controversy, I think of like you just kids on the playground, right, you show up, you got you got a basketball, and there's a hoop and we're just playing. That's what we want.

We want to have fun. So grabbing one of our players he has definitely a thing we want to do, even if it's not maybe the smartest draft choice. You know, we'll move up the draft for a hometown player most definitely. Right. Okay, my my producer came up with these, uh this idea. Let's see how well you or I do? All right, if you were to hold a draft with just office characters, who would you draft first? And what position would they play?

Craig Robinson fullback because no one stopping him. Okay, that's fair, that's all right, that's fair. What do you think Kevin's position would be? Although, see you said Craig Robinson, but you mean Darryl Philbin. Oh yes, I'm sorry, Darryl Philbin.

What do you think Kevin would play? I think Kevin Malone would have to be uh deceptively athletic, remember, yes, and and offensive Lineman R. And that's where I would put him, because you need someone that's going to have legs like tree trunks that are set in the ground and stable, and that's your that was your persona on the show, a stable, physical person, almost an immovable object at times. So I could see the focus of Kevin just being I'm going to block block and I could

see that nothing to complicated. I think that. I mean, I think that's a that's a that's a um, you know, I think that's a that would be a standard response. I think, what do you think if well, I think if you were a writer on the office, it would probably there would probably be a final play in the game and somehow Kevin would run by every one and catch a long touchdown. That would be that would be where they're their minds would go. Who would who would

get kicked out of the game first? Oh, boy, b J. Probably I mean Ryan Howard, Ryan R. Okay, fair enough, he'd piss off somebody. Yeah, you know, I could see uh, I could see Meredith Palmer doing something where she just would have to be removed from the from the game. Yeah, well, there are substance abuse there, there might be testing, who might fail some sort of test. Um, who who would be the m v P. Michael Scott, He'd be our

He'd be the quarterback, the fearless leader. For as ridiculous as some of the pleas would turn out to be and as nonsensical as they would turn out to be, at the end of the day, you knew it was an honest choice and it probably full the hell out of the other team. Well, that's true, because it would make very little sense sometimes. Again, somehow I think it would it would be Jim. I don't know how, but it would be Jim. Well that's you've been seeing those

pictures of his abs. Well, yeah, exactly, kidding me. Um, all right, so we may come back and we may talk about this now. Our draft is coming up very soon. We get a lot of questions. I get a lot of questions directly, Like, I'm an expert. I've been doing it seventeen years. You just heard I've never won. But we'll talk about the league once we have the player set. What do you think about that? That sounds great. I

always love talking fancy with you. I love it now. Uh, Steve, sorry, before I let you go, I know you have a podcast of your own called if we Knew then UM tell us a little bit about that if we knew then Yes, Liam was born in Teach thousand and ten with Down syndrome UM and it was an incredibly frightening time for us. We when when Liam was born, we didn't know very much about down stydrom or diversity inclusion,

all these words that we hear today and UM. But most of the information we had about down syndrome was not very positive. It was certainly not hopeful, and so we were really looking for a place where parents could hear those stories of accomplishments and and and also get

useful information. You know about therapies are educational supports but UM, but just to hear positive messages and and we initially thought that these things were going to be totally geared to the down Sturgeon community, but we've I guess, through constantly learning and evolving, we've realized that so many of our guests have given information that's needed by all parents and and it's helped us with both our kids. We just recently talked to an attorney about family trusts UH.

We we we talk about the importance of self care for parents UH through guided meditation was one way. We had a pediatric dentist on just about introducing your child to two healthy dental routine, you know. And uh, we had a zen Buddhists on the Zen Buddhist priest on the show about talking about fear. I mean that's the main thing. We were only scared of the unknown and fearful of that because we don't know it right. So the more information we can gather, the less fear we have.

And these things benefit all parents and really to get down to it though, even the stories that are more specific to Down syndrome we all learned from. We interviewed a couple of times Chris nikisch Uh he is the first person with downstad and the Finish and iron Man he won the Jimmy v Award on the SPS recently and um and and how he broke through stereotypes. And we had a a young dentistry student from Syria, sod er Issa, who was raised by a father who has

Down syndrome. I mean his father has been married for thirty years, goes to work every day to support his family and or siblings. Like we've had our daughter on. One of the things that we see the most is that parents is so worried for the other kids or the other family members, Like, what's the repercussions? Is the thought process? What's what's what's going to happen to these to the kids we have? And overwhelmingly we found that

it's it's a wonderful experience. U. We we got a chance to talk to Steve Guffinson from ten Thousand Maniacs and he had his his sister Cathy had Down syndrome, and we talked to him about what he learned about her and and many people from the entertainment industry to to talk about the importance of inclusion in media, and that is that is a big hashtag right now, inclusion and it is very important for the disability community as well. Um.

But we talked to Julianne Robinson. She's the EP of Bridgetain and that show has broken a lot of barriers. But she also did a movie about an adult with Down syndrome. So so yes, the podcast focuses on Down syndrome and I highly recommend sharing it with anyone you know who has someone with Down syndrome in their life.

But I think in doing it, I've realized how much we can learn from each other, especially, you know, from people we assumed we're very very different from ourselves, you know, and and we really aren't all that different when it gets down to it. I mean that that's inclusion. And the more we include those stories, tell those stories, the more we include all the people in our society to join the table, to join the discussion, to truly be a voice in our society, the better we all are,

right if we knew them. A podcast from Even and his and his wife Lorie For what it's worth. Some of my favorite days on set were when people's kids who were either born during the show or not came in. Sophia leam Walter. We talked about before Rain's kid. Um just Angeli's Angela's daughter, Angela's daughter. Well, she basically lived there right, totally lived in the trailer. She never went home.

Um no isabel that of course it's not true. Um, Stephen, thank you so much for coming and talking to me. You had a very significant and important role on the show, but also you were an important part of our dunder Miffin and family. And uh, I want you to know you, Lori, your kids, all of you are are very special to me. And UH and I appreciate you coming in. I appreciate all the work that you do keeping Fantasy Football lead going, and and I love you and appreciate you, and let's

talk some more throughout the season. I love you brain all right, definitely, thanks for um, thanks for just bringing back some amazing memories. I mean, it's there's not often that we get to like sit down and really like talk about you know, I don't know if you ever knew any that way I got on the show or anything, and and it's just neat to hear that stuff and and and and say and to say that stuff. Really, it's really fantastic. Thank you, Thanks buddy, Thank you all right.

Stephen A k A sucks it to me. Uh, Steven, thank you so much for coming in to talk to me today. We're gonna have you back throughout the season to keep us posted on on how how the competitors are faring, how are our teams are doing this year. Also catch Stephen and his wife Laurie on their podcast If We Knew Then, where they talk about their family parenting and they do incredible work raising down syndrome awareness. Also keep listening to this podcast, The Office Deep Dive.

For future updates about the Office Fantasy Football League. Until next time, we will see you, well, We'll see you on Tuesday. The Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers for this episode are Liz Hayes, Emily Carr and Diego Topia, and our intern is Hannah Harris. My

main man in the booth is Colin Tadeshi. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by Seth Olandsky