Greatest L.A. Athletes with Steve Hernandez

heard that. Um, wells, I mean legally they're your parents. But how how are you doing? Yeah? Very very festive around here. Um, we were like, we're gonna be trapped here, so we really went all outland reath, three multiple glittered gold reindeer statues. Um. My mom informed me that there are two bins, giant bins filled with snowmen. She didn't want anymore traveling from Indianapolis to Los Angeles. As we speak, I can't wait to welcome those cuddly cutie boys into

our house. Our snowmen. Yeah, there's snow men. I honestly for it to be like a snow woman, she needs to have some sort of stereotypical woman. No, I was going to say, like an apron. All right, well, um whatever, because I do want our Our guests are very close friend uh fellows Los Angeles comedian uh runs a awesome show in West Covina called The chatter Box and has so many podcasts. We've got the Male Gaze, Who's Your God? Views from the Vista, which maybe on hiatus now because

um no, it's not. It's not. All right, okay, it's not gonna talk about it. It's not on hold. It's going. Those are three podcasts right there. So the ladies and gentlemen please welcome our guest, Steve Hernandez. All right, thank you guys, so good to be here. Megan. Megan said, you guys make love I think together, which is not the same you said CJ that you had sex with her, but her way was more. It was like, oh, we're fun. This is a co co op kind of situation. I

like them. Yeah, thank you. It was really just I messed up because make love together almost sounds like we make love with different people next to each other. Well that's that's you know, not yet, but we'll see in twenty years. Second second lockdown and we can't even make love in our backyard with straight so second lockdown, just ce J and me. We'll see in twenty years how it all ends up. Hopefully we'll all have enough money to be part of some kind of l a Illuminati thing.

So I see, I'm down with that. I'm the current situation. This is a me and Megan situation. But in twenty years, if we're for loading and board, why not well yea, yeah, yeah, you're saying, if you get rich enough, you will become a swinger. I can't wait to watch this journey for you. I'll sit back and just just smile and laugh. Steve, thank you so much for being here. Hey, my pleasure. I love you guys. I'm so happy that the decorations are up. C J. Did you really hire somebody to

help you put those up? The lights? The roof, because there's a whole like I gotta go buy a ladder or you can rent a ladder. And I went to home depot and got anxiety from how packed it was, and I got my car and turned around. I just found somebody who had a tall ladder could get on our roof. So so yeah good, I'm proud of Yeah, I mean, I'm really proud of you. Yeah, I was sort of guy when I looked at that stuff. I've never had a home for myself. I mean when when

I was older, my dad used to do it. So I just feel like that's what you've got married a year ago, You're putting up lights at this home now, like it's all that's like real man stuff. And I'm really proud of you. I'm really happy for you. Thank you. I mean, yeah, I that those are the things that I'm totally down for. Like when I watched sitcoms and like the dads are like falling off a ladder and stuff like that's what I signed up to get. My sleeve caught on a nail and it ripped off my

whole shirt, Like I'm ready for that. To be a bumbling husband. Yeah. I could also see c J like changing a diaper and like opening it and then going like yeah yeah, and I'm trying to like, yes, stop it, um, but Steve, you are you are recently engaged. You are joining the force. Yes, nobody saw it coming. That's part of why I did it. Very punk for me. A lot of people don't understand that, but it's very punk

rock for me. I think, you know, I've been blessed enough to have the love of many wonderful women in my life, and uh, I think I finally got to the age where I was like, what happens if I just let this wash over me instead of fight it? Because that's what I've done my whole life is to fight the love of all these beautiful, wonderful women. And then I was like, what if you just let it wash over? What's that like? And I finally was like, Okay,

I'll just let it. I mean, you know, anybody who knows my fiance, she's so beautiful, so funny, so smart, and she loves me, I think more than anybody what you're saying a lot has ever loved me. And she just looks at me sometimes, You'll like look up at me with this love, like she's trying to crush me with her fucking eyeballs with love. And I'm like, well,

we gotta You've got to fucking tie this down. You've got if it'll nothing will make this person happier in the world than me committing my life to them, you've gotta give it to him. Yeah, I know, I know what you mean. And um, Yeah, I just know what you mean. You know, the crushing looks, the thing you feel like I look at you in a way where I could crush you with my love. Absolutely that is

like that. That is, um, what you're describing, Steve, the crushing love and you're like, I have to react to this is a total It's totally a thing that I'm like still trying to figure out what you're how you're supposed to respond sometimes. Uh, you know, it's so funny. I would imagine that's how you are in private, but you two do something that I really love. I think you guys really play up like a sitcom couple in public where I have I probably five videos of you

kissing Megan and her looking away and disgust. Uh. They're like some of my funniest the It's like one of the funniest things I think in the world. And I don't you guys are doing I think you just do it in public. Obviously, I believe Megan loves you as much like you're just you're talking about. But yeah, I do think. Um, I think it's a head you wait for a man to finally say, Okay, I'm going to take responsibility for this love, and so I've I've come to that point in my life where I you know,

I was divorced before, and um, I handled that. I was a bad husband and I was irresponsible with that because I just thought dumb things. I was just an idiot. I'm forty two years old. I've been around the block. I'm still an idiot in many ways. But I also know, like there's times when it's like, no, I don't do that. You remember, you remember that ten years ago, don't do that again. So yeah, I mean, you know, I stopped

drinking two years ago. And there's so many times when I'm in a situation and uh, the you know, I'm a comedian, so the fucking ship will go in my brain and I'm like, so glad I don't have a drink in me right now, Just like, don't say it. Don't say you have no absolutely no reason to say. And I think it's worse as a comedian too, because a lot of times I want to say something funny, you know, even to Julia to get a lad and it's like, don't do it. You know, there's no reason

for this. Yeah. Yeah. We we go through a lot in this house of us back and forth saying to each other. You know, you don't need to roast to me every day. Um, we are partners in love and you don't have to go whenever I say something, what do you I mean? Yeah, now go ahead, Okay, well no, you go ahead because I want to hear what you

have to say. Okay, yeah, I mean it's just like she my wife, Megan, and she is my best friend, you know so, and that's how I hanged I you know you're gonna have to There's so much time in a day as well, and it's been multiplied by so much during this pandemic that we've either ran out of things to talk about or it's just like you are,

we are truly meeting who we really are. And there's where we're interacting with each other in so many different roles, not just husband and wife, now friends, now co we're you know, in in a twenty four hour day together in pandemics, I have not run out of things to talk about, filled with topics we could get to know.

I know you you guys are part of a crew to where it's there's a lot of married people when they're both comedians and stuff, and I do think it's one of the reasons the pandemic is one of the reasons why I'm getting married too, because I feel like, for not just in personal areas, but professionally and everything, this is kind of like sped up how people are thinking about things. For maybe like five years. I mean, we've come to a stand still in a lot of the business of our lives, so I was able to

think about things. But yeah, there's no person that I love, and I know you guys are best friends. Julie and I are best friends, and we laugh so much. We have such a good time together. So it's just like, well, okay, if if we ever split up, it will be as devastating as a divorce, so we should get married. And uh,

I'm very excited. Yeah, I mean, like if we split up, and since I've made the decision where I turned the thing and say, well, I told you know what, because I was going to pick out the ring, I'm not. I just can't do that gifts for me a really, it's give It's one of the few things in life that gives me anxiety. So I told her, hey, you know what's start looking for a few rings, give me

a few options, and then I'll pick something. And when I told her that and we've talked about it obviously at nauseam, she was like okay, And ever since then my love for her has grown more than it was before. I do feel like there's something about commitment, like in an open way where it allows you to be like I mean, she was always part of my team, but now I feel like we're going to be publicly a team. So it's like I will do what and I think you guys are the same way. We will do whatever

it takes to win in this life. And I want to shove it down everyone's throat so they could fucking see we're gonna win. I can't even I can't even think of someone who would be against your and Julia's team. Do you guys think about that? I try and do this sometimes. I'm like c J, who hates us um I because we hate people that are obscure that you would have no idea, hates you know, Like, there's definitely people I hate that like would have no clue. I hate them. I don't lose that to me. I don't

think that CIEGE. I don't think anyone could hate c J. Because he's so affable and kind of doesn't. Okay, well, that's just what I think. I think, Megan, I think people could hate you because you're a very successful woman, so got men could certainly hate you. And then women, you guys hate each other for the fucking weirdest reason. So there's that too, like women like I'm sure there's some woman's female Chicago comedian. You fucking did something eight

years ago that you are ten years ago. The fact that you said one Chicago female I mean, I mean, yeah, the legal pad of topics I have for things CJ and I to talk about is probably just as long as Chicago comedians anything has the best friend who hates me, you know, so it really is. We talk a lot about Chicago on here. That's where we, you know, comedically come from. Steve is born and raised Covina, West Covina.

L A for those OFO that don't know, for those THO that don't watch Crazy Act Girlfriend, that is l A and you. You. I mean, you're wearing a shirt right now that I can see that says Latino Heat on it. You are you You're You're one like step below Danny Trejo at this point. For for l A mascots, I think, well, I'm very unknown outside of it, you know, Twitter. Slowly, my Twitter presence is slowly growing. I've got to take more topless picks, I think, to get really grow the

leaps and bonds I need. But yeah, I was born at Pasadena at Huntington's Hospital. Grew up in Lincoln Heights, Highland Park Toys four years old. Then we moved to West Covina. My dad bought a little three bedroom, two two bathroom house out there with his g I Bill, and uh. Then I started doing stand up ten years ago, so I would have never left Covina. But I got married, my wife got a job in Pasadena. We moved to Pasadena, and then a bunch of things happened for me allow

me to get into stand up in Los Angeles. But yeah, I am l a born and bread. I proposed to Julia off of in Um like the sal Park kind of. There's this area where my my dad grew up, near the White Fence Hazzar Gang neighborhood, and my grandma used to live there, and there's the most beautiful view I've ever seen. It might be the one on blooded and Blood out if anybody's familiar with that. But it's a

most beautiful view I've ever seen. My dad said, I he used to go there and after high school and like, look at the city. You could see the ocean, you could see Dodgerston, you could see everything. I'll take you guys there some point and I I took Julia there and I remember my when my dad showed it to me,

maybe twenty years ago. I was like, oh, I would love to propose to my wife here because it's such a It's one of those few places I feel like, you know, I'm kind of a jaded person like many people in a lot of ways, but where I still feel magic up there. And so I was like, I would love to share this magic with the person I'm going to marry. And so I took over there, right off a Soda street, right by the Lincoln Heights COVID

testing Center behind that. Oh yeah, that's where I go now, Okay, yeah, yeah, it's so fast. But um yeah. I moved out to Los Angeles proper after my divorce, probably about seven or eight years ago, and um yeah, it's really made me fall in love with the city in a way that just being from West Covina didn't. So I love this place.

I love Los Angeles comedy. It's fucked up in a lot of ways, but I do believe in the next ten years we're going to see a generation of comics raised uh that are very, very good and it's better than anybody else. Wow, because like we um, you know, Chicago comics are myself c included some of the most insufferable people, and you know, we're just like we're the best where we have the most friends, we have the most fun, we have, we drink the most, we stay

up like you know, we're this is a lot. And then so when we would come to New York, people were like excited to have us, and then there was this like massive influx and people are like, we're good on you actually, And but when l A Comics would come to New York, people would just we would just stand at the room, arms crossed, like, who's this hot

fucking hack? Like you just when someone is in l A Comic, especially someone who like started here and then ends up getting any amount of buzz, whether it be like new faces or something, you're just like so ready to hate them. But the reality is it would be really, really really hard to start here. And I'm happy that I did not have to. Yeah, it's definitely its own thing. I remember I went to Chicago maybe two and a half years in and you realize how hard it is

here because you get everyone just keeps coming here. So I start. I start here and the open mics, you know, our thirty people, you get three minutes and you start here and you just do as many of those. When I started, I did ten to fifteen mics a week, and they just keep coming, stars just keep coming. But if you can hold out and get good and like figure out what's going on in like and within three years. I feel if you can get like pretty good in l A and three years, then you'll be okay and

you're like very competent. So when I went to Chicago that first time, I realized, oh, I've been playing with weights on. Like it's been fucked up to not have real real people all those times, because you learn to be funny. I know a lot of people say, uh, open mic comedy, if you may get last though, you

won't get them anywhere else. But I feel like in l A the open mic scene is very you're like chopping heads, so there's like very competitive, very much, especially you know something like the chatter Box where that open mic on Thursdays is like a show where we get regular to get a crowd of regular people. So we're

chopping heads, you know. And I'm bartending on Thursday nights too, so I've got to like serve Acholo a beer and I go up and start talking about sucking dick, and I come back and get get the Trolo another beer. I mean, I really am like that, I very much. My I'm the thing I'm most proud of so far is the crew coming up at the chatter Box where now you know, when I started, there was one other alternative Latino guy guy named what's John's last name? He

was Kyle Kanane's roommate for years. And then, um, now we have a bunch and I've got a bunch of those guys are talking about being by and shipped over there now, and I'm like, okay, this is cool. We're like incubating something over there that that like it's okay to like be weird, and crolos are once you get clos talking, there's some of the fucking weird. Before the shutdown, we had newer like cholo comics that were like seeing it's okay to talk about weird ship and they're like

they're like fucking Martians. So I'm very excited, like I said, in the next five to tay years to like see what comedy is going to come out of Los Angeles.

But for right now, absolutely nothing's happening. It's it's kind of reminding me of like Hannibal and Blurred almost of like finding this niche within a community that has been like, oh no, we do stuff this way, but it's like, oh no, there are I mean, there's a guy that would be at chatter Box just like head to toe Dodgers gear and then yeah, talking about his depression and you're like this is wild. So yeah, I am very

stoked about that. I'm very proud of the chatter Box and everything we've done over there, but you know, we'll see. I'm I'm actually very grateful for this time in COVID too, because it's allowed me to be thoughtful and to figure out my career trajectory and everything I really want to do. So I'm very excited to be here. I'm excited to be your friends, and uh it feels like yeah doing stuff. I mean, the thing I am so glad you said that.

I mean, I feel like it was maybe a couple of years ago, but I was always so intimidated by you because like early, I mean I I always I moved here like three times, and I probably met you in the first time, and you very much were like l A. You were, I mean, you wore a Dodger's hat and stuff, but also like you were part of that crew of like the l A comedians that were starting to get a break. And I was like, I

think I was here by myself. There weren't a lot of Chicago comedians, and I was like, I knew I wanted to stay here in l A. And I also wanted to be a part of the community. And I was like, and I would go to Chatterbox like hangout with wit and I think maybe I did a showcase there early on, and I wasn't friends with you yet, but I was like, shit, I don't care anyone laughs in this room except for Steve behind the bar, like and so like that was like you you were really

like a write of passage back then. And you know, I've been here for what like eight years on and off, and and yeah, that's very my only problem with you as you just kept quitting, So I did not know if you think. So I'm like, I love stand up. I love stand up like you know, I used to be a youth pastor, so a lot of that like bleeds out in my stuff, and I like, I love stand up like I used to love Christ. And so

I don't. I don't care about the business. I care about really the spirit of the thing I think of stand ups is like Jedi nights. I think about what we really do is so separate from the business. Trust me, though, I mean, I mean, in a way, I'm kicking myself because I would love to have dental insurance right now, and so I'm pivoting to that kind of stuff. But there is a thing where I'm like, I don't care about any of it. I care about what happens in

the room. And what happens in the room we comedians can do one of the It's one of those rare things in this fucking dumb modern world where we can make magic happen and so um when so you, to me are like someone who kept backsliding. I was like, does this fool love Christ? You know? And then I'm over there like cutting my skin for christ you know, to win to stand up. You know, I was fully committed to quitting but I can't. But then but all

of my friends were in stand up. And then I went out and try to hang out with the regular people and it just wasn't happening, you know. So there I'm like the definition of trapped in this community. So I was like, I just got to do it. Then my heart has opened up though since then I have gotten very good where I realized that it can't be it's different things to different people at different times for

it to be as wonderful as it is. It's just like Christianity, you know, you don't need a bunch of pastors. Sometimes if people are just good people and they're funny and they're present when they're at an open mic. If you're digging around and open mic, fuck you. But if you're present and you're trying to make the room laugh, like I said in this moment, if you're doing your best, then that's enough for me. I mean, who cares about

what I think? But also in my I've realized like, okay, even you know, at Chatterbocks, we've got a couple of old guys that are like sixty five that come and half of what they say is like some stupid Sometimes half that they say it's very funny, and it's like, I mean, what am I gonna say? This guy's not trying to get JF also fun this guy like this

is stand up is a gift. And so if someone thinks of it as a hobby and they live to do it, as long as they're trying to grow, as long as they're trying to get better, that's all that matters to me. A sixty five year old guide an open mic love stand up more than all of us. You know, it's like they're sorry, you may not know that there is no future for you. Um. They you know, my niece who's four has a better shot at this point.

So like you're his love for it is so pure. Um. We had you on today because we wanted to do an l A specific episode. We are the City of Champions as a UM truck in our neighborhood is painted, so you know that and love him, love him. I've got on my Dodgers, my Los Angeles Dodgers shirt that then has a basketball on it, his Dodgers hat. We are fully adopted, fully adopted. The l a sports scene, and no one even really gets that mad at me because they've lived through lots of tortures games and I

can pick this and they have the same colors. You know, it's just fun. Steve. Yeah, no one's gotten mad at us. Why do you think that? Like, I'm like publicly known as a Bowls fan like years ago, and like my only legitimate reason is that I love Lebron and he came to the Lakers and now I'm a doctor's fan. Like, but no one's mad at me. Can you explain why? Maybe?

I just I mean, I think if your love is pure and you don't seem to be like a tail writing anyone's tails or anything, although arguably you're doing that with Lebron. But but but Lebron is such a good man, uh to go along with his talent. I don't think anyone could hate on that at all. So plus, you're I mean, this is it. You're done as comedians, as entertainers. You guys have both done the things where you moved from there to there and then LA is the final place.

So you're gonna live here for the rest of your life, probably, So how can no one hate on you for that's well. And CJ has fully adopted the Lakers fandom where he ships on the clippers all the time, so he you know, he's really walking the walk in that way. And then also we live in Highland Parking Rock and anyone with AILI like it essentially the Philippines and Igor Rock. And I didn't know until I moved here that part of being Filipino is loving the Lakers. Like Kobe is bigger

than Jesus. I found out. Yeah, yeah, And if you go to the Igor Rock plazet, it's all it's all Kobe jerseys. You know. I didn't like Kobe for years. I actually stopped after the sexual assault, all the sexual salt stuff come out. I just kind of checked out, and I didn't like ultimately. I didn't like how he was kind of a ball hog like I just it

really bothered me. I remember we had an open mic at the glendo Ark Continental during this past game and he scored what he scored seventy points or something crazy like that, and I was just like, for like fifty and he went like fifty for like I mean like shot sixty shots or something where I was just like to me, I'm just like who are very much loved teams.

As you'll see in my choices later on, I very much loved teams and collectives, and I just kind of thought he was like, like you piece of ship, Like I just he bothered me. So it was very hard for me to get in to the Lakers until Lebron came and he is such a good man at such a good team player. And then of course when Kobe died, I had to like have a spiritual reckoning where I was like, we all funk up. You know, we've all

gotten ourselves into terrible situations. Uh, you know, especially as a man and understanding now you know, I thought it used to be funny to try to make a girl not use a condom. I thought that was funny. Now I know now I know, like, oh, you know, I would never speak one off or anything, but I would just try to talk about like come on, please. But now I realized that all of these things are fucked up.

So I've been at least, you know, maybe not as bad as Kobe, but I've been terrible in my waist too, And so I've accepted Kobe into my heart as a son now of the city. And I do think that's one of the great things he did and in his death is unify the city in such an amazing way. Yeah, but uh yeah, you know. Yeah. I grew up with the Dodgers, huge Dodger fan. Didn't get into the Dodgers big time until maybe about seven or eight eight years ago when they got Spectrum got the exclusive Time Warner

got the exclusive cable cable rights to them. This is such a funny thing. My older brother and my uncle obsessed with the Dodgers. I've always been around Dodgers, would go to one or two games a thing, but I always thought it was so boring. And then I, um, they bought that, and the chatter Box had Time Warner, and nobody had Time Warner. Everyone had Direct TV. And so we would start suddenly get like three or four

cholos would come in. When I would work at the chatter Box on Thursdays and Fridays at six o'clock, they would let's just be there, and so I'm just watching this game with them, and then you're like, oh, I like this guy with the red hair. Oh, and then I like this it's funny. Oh I like this song, and you're just like, I think this is what my dad wasn't into sports. I was like, this is I guess how little kids get into sports. Is how everyone gets like, oh, this guy's funny. I like when he smiles,

Like I just like a little kid. I started to get into the Dodgers seven or eight years ago. Also was a way to connect with my brother, who I love dearly and he loves Dodgers too much. And so then we started going to games, and then Julius from l A. So it's like, now I'm as die hard as anybody. But it was a real choice. Uh, and it was you know, I don't know if I'd be a diehard fan of Time Warner wouldn't have bought the

exclusive rights to their cable. But that's how That's how everybody feels about w g N and the Cubs, like the it's baseball specifically is so almost like dependent on these cable deals in a way that other sports don't seem to be. And maybe because they're more mainstream and like just reach more people. But yeah, you're basically gonna be a baseball fan of the team that they're showing on your local station, like regards, yes, and I just love that. Um, should we take a break and then

we come back with our picks. Okay, we'll right back. We are back, Steve, you are gonna lead us off no pun intended um with your third pick four. I don't even think I've said the topic yet. Greatest l A Athletes. A lot of a lot of wiggle room in that in that headline too. Yeah, I can. Oh, no, I'm ready, and uh, I don't. I don't know how I've heard. I've listened to you guys podcast, so I know how it goes. I don't feel like it's as competitive as other shows like this, and so I want

to know my my third one. I'm going to pick third just so I can say it, because I don't want any of you guys to beat beat me to it. But I do think Serena Williams is uh the is like one of l A's like sons and daughters. She's the best woman tennis player and arguably one of the best tennis players that's ever lived out of Compton, California. Her dad at you know, just made a decision. I don't.

I don't know if you guys do this before they were born, those two Venus and Serena and I even have a I have a hard time saying Serena without saying Venus because, um, Serena, obviously, if you're playing against if your older sisters, the best tennis player in the world, she is going to make you that good. So I do feel I do have trouble saying but but you

know Serena's one twenty three Grand Slam titles. Her dad wrote a seventy eight page plan before they were born and said, I AM going to shape these and women and mold them into this white sport where they can win and make be successful and make a ton of money. And he actually did that. Arguably he's a monster. But um, in so many ways I don't think because they moved

out of here pretty quick. But you know they're from Compton, for Christ's sake, man, That to me is what, like, you know, we Los Angeles should be fucking proud of these women. Yeah. I played on a tennis court must have been two years ago, and it had like a giant banner that said it was like their childhood core or maybe they had like played there. It was it was over on the West side like it was Inglewood, Compton adjacent for sure, and it brought tears to my eyes,

like even two. And it was in kind of this park that didn't seem like it had been kept up in the way that a park maybe in the Palisades would have, you know, like the pools kind of fucked up. There were kids like running everywhere, and I'm like, this tennis court complex exists because of these two sisters, soletly and it was just really really beautiful and you you

you see their mark on the city still. Um. They their dad used to go around to all the private clubs and baked to let them use have their used balls, and they were brought up on the public court of Los Angeles of places like Compton. Uh. The their first coach who they kind of jacked over in a lot of ways, manned by the name of Rick Macky, flew out here from Florida. He had some of the best tennis players at the time. And he said he watched Venus and he was like, wow, this is kind of

a waste or whatever. He just didn't see anything that great. And then when Venus said, can I go to the bathroom or whatever, and the dad said yeah, and he said he watched her handstand walk to the bathroom like twenty feet away. This is real and he said that's what Richard made them do. Yes, and then he's like, oh, he told him, oh, you're gonna have you have the Michael Jordan's of tennis on your hands. And then the Richard. Their dad said, I have to Michael Jordan's on my hands.

Younger sister of course being Serena, who's won twenty three Grand slams to venus seven Grand slams. Uh, she's amazing. She was number one in two thousand two for the first time and then again in two thousand seventeen. How many fucking acts could say something like that, It's completely insane and tennis, your your cap is like twenty two, Like you can you truly do not play. This is why fifteen year olds can win Wimbledon because the window is so small. And they've Her, you know, and Federer

to his credit and an adult and that mass. They have extend. They've extended the playing career for tennis players. They've totally changed the game and real quickly, what what is their standing relationship with their father? Uh? They talked. They would say like, just don't come to the games anymore. We don't want anything like that, which is these are

healthy boundaries to have. Um. Yeah, it's funny, you know, to your point, Megan, I just finished the John mcinroe book at it's called like it's I'm not joking or something like that, aren't being serious? And he he talks about being twenty five and being like, I'm I was an old man at twenty five or when I was thirty. In fact, literally at thirty five you become you join like the old guy's circuit. I forget what it's called, but for her to be that good yeah yeah, the

Senior Tour, that's what it's called. Yeah, um, I I would I like old guy Tour better called um you can't be serious? Yes, yeah, that's like what he yelled. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, that's, by the way, a great book.

I'm not a huge tennis fan, but that book made me where I'm like, oh shit, I guess I'm getting old because I'm gonna start getting into watching the tennis and ship because he was he was talking about everything, and he did bring up the Williams sisters of course, and just we all know how they changed the game in terms of physicality and strength and power and uh and you know, I did mention it briefly, but this is a white sport. Let's is a traditionally white sport.

They went in there and faced you know, I just watched a dock with them, and I forgot. I think it was somewhere in San Diego where you know, they were booing uh or Serena and she people were calling it was in Um it was an Indio, but it's called like Indian Wells, you know, Indian Wells, Indian Wells. Yes, yea, yeah. They they promised, they vowed to never play it again and then they since went back and it was extremely emotional when Serena returned. Um. Yeah, so yeah. I mean,

they're incredible the they've made so much money. Serena overe million dollars venus over forty three million dollars. That's just in prize money. Forget about endorsements. I love to see two women from two black women from Compton making a shipload of money. Uh. Serena is married to the co founder of Reddit. Now who I mean this to me? As is a real rags rich is American story and I'm proud like that they are from Los Angeles. Gosh, I must feel like we don't go on after that, Um,

you want me to go? Okay, so great number three pick, Steve. My number three pick is kind of obscure, and I wanted to put football players on the list. I thought I was going to go with a Rams player and I didn't. I ended up going a different direction. And this person made my list because he is involved with the O. J. Simpson trial and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Simpsons. I know, No, that's just the one to punch. I can't deny. And it's Marcus Allen, who

I who I like. So his ex wife was on Housewives, um, which I'll get to. Marcus born in San Diego but then played at USC and is one of like four players ever to win the Heisman and the Super Bowl m v P. He still um is tied for the n C double A record for most for like over two thousand yards with Ricky Williams and Ron Dane. I

mean these this is n C double a royalty. And then he went on to be on the Raiders, which I genuinely forgot we're in Los Angeles, and was offensive Rookie of the Year and then went on to lead them to the Super Bowl win the Super Bowl when they were in l a UM. I think like the first eight years of his NFL. Maybe it was less than that, but he ended up having a falling out with al Davis and they had a lot of issues.

Al Davis publicly called him a cancer of the team. Um. Marcus Allen made a claim that al Davis was trying to ruin his career and keep him out of the Hall of Fame. He was not successful in doing that. He went elsewhere and his stats are truly incredible. I mean,

he is like a powerhouse and a hunk. So then he married this woman named Catherine Edwards I think that's her name, and it is rumored and it's it was brought up at the trial that Marcus and Nicole Brown Simpson were having an affair and o J you know knew that, and that like added to blah blah. Apparently Marcus and Catherine were subpoena to testify and fought the subpoena and ended up not testifying at the trial. But

they're mentioned in Faye Resnick's book. I think he's mentioned in some of the you know, like the David Schwimmer trial series that happened and it was brought up on the Real Housewives A Lot, a lot. They got married Him and Kavin got married at O J's house too. Yeah, I'm listening at pro now pro Ja, So are you looking at now? Yeah? She's beautiful. Uh yeah. Marcus Allen

one of the best running backs of all time. One of he kind of was he was tangential to one of my picks that I'm not gonna do because you picked Marcus Allen. But at one point Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen were playing on the same team, an amazing Raiders, I think, and this was happening. I think when I was like Tann eleven years old, wasn't a big football fan, but this is I remember little kids coming in to fucking in Raiders jerseys, either Marcus Allen, either Bo Jackson.

This was huge in Los Angeles at the time. I've always loved Marcus Allen and have been tempted to buy a Marcus Allen jersey, but I just can't rep the Raiders like that. Well what about what if you got a usc um jersey? He was number thirty three and they've retired that number because of him. Um, that's not a bad idea. I have a problem wearing a university jersey and I haven't gone to college. I've just seen too many doing it, and I'm like, this is sad.

You see they'll have like the plate like the plate placards, and I'm like, bro, you did not go to that school to It's like it's like, I don't mind representing a protein because I'm from the city, but representing a school feels like I'm lying to someone. So I don't know if I could do that. Oh. So, the record he holds still in the n C Double A is most games with two hundred rushing yards, so he has

that tie with Ron Dane and Ricky Williams. That's I mean, yeah, he's he was incredible and then and to be incredible in college as a running back and then incredible in the pros to the point where you win Super Bowl m v P. That is very very hard to do. Almost impossible. Oh okay, oh yeah, no kidding, yeah no. I mean. And also you can speak on this is that the Raiders, like in pop culture, just became so huge and he was part of that of like n w A, like the script Raiders had. I mean, obviously

Marcus Allen, like Bo Jackson. I mean, I don't know where were they. They were in l A at the time during like the n w as origin, I think, but it just became such an l A staple Raiders gear. I mean, yeah, l A people really rep the Raiders no matter what I mean. It's so it's so cool if they were here like that. Now I would be a die hard Raiders fan. But when I was little and we went to church, you know, the idea of like pirates and Raiders and being rowdy, it was like

these people do not love Christ correctly. So I remember, I think that was really in my heart where I was like, this does not feel christ like to me. But now I think it would be very cool like to have a team like the Raiders, especially now that we have what do we have two proteins here and they both fucking suck. So that's and I used to be a Rams fan. I would I I've been to games recently too, so I guess I would say that. But they just still don't feel like Los Angeles is yet.

Uh so hopefully that and he's been to the Super Bowl. No, And I feel really bad for the Chargers, so crazy because at least the Rams have some amount of history here the Chargers. They've just moved the team. What is happening my brother? Sorry, guys on this podcast began, if your brother calls you, like right now, what do you think he's calling you about? Is he calling you about football? He just know, well, yeah, he definitely wants to talk about the Colts. But then, um for me to face

time with my nieces. Okay, that's very sweet. Yeah, I FaceTime probably every other day with my nieces. I love my nephews, but they don't eat. I mean, that's the difference between boys and girls traditionally, is that my nephews don't give a funk about me. There nine and twelve. Now, the twelve year old talks to me some, but the nine year old is like nagging me half the time. He's like really hot. The nine year olds like a model.

And he looks like Keano because he's like half Japanese a quarter white, like all this cool ship and uh, the dude, I finally bought him up. He has his birthday last week. I bought him some like weird box of Pokemon, you know, for like eighty bucks. And he was flipping out about that, and he actually face time me for that and thanked me, and I was like, well ship, thank god. Yeah, but it's present based, you know, my nephew, I'll be like Bobby. He will will not

be speaking to anyone. And I'm like, you need to come over and face time if you want me to buy you a tap. Okay, that's what we're doing now. I need a little bit of attention and it'll get you an iPad. Parental settings off for a wild dog. I don't even care. Okay, you want to give us your number three? Yeah, I mean it's hard for me not to do all basketball. I was assuming you were,

and so I went, so I'm gonna start off. I'm gonna say cream abdul jabbar, and this will start a little bit of a trend of so not only six uh six m v p s five NBA titles with the Lakers, but also and I got into the little bit last night, he like also entered Hollywood, like he he really embraced being you know, this big player in the NBA, but also living in l A and really feeding into that, you know, showtime moniker like he was training with Bruce Lee, was in Game of Death obviously,

but then also an Airplane, in a bunch of other movies, and recently he he was a staff writer on Verona Kamar. So like this is you know, years after, but he is still And I met his daughter once and she was like a screenwriter. So he to me is like a quintessential just like L A athlete, L a icon and so yeah, one of the greatest L so very cool and like yeah, just progressive and and just responsible for a ton of movements. And yeah, I saw him.

I saw him in like am in like an authentic Game of Thrones costume for they were having for that reason, it was self so tall, and then he's in this just like a wild wing outfit, and I'm like, this is the greatest moment of my life. Well, he's also you didn't mention it, but part of some of the greatest U. C. L A basketball teams that have ever lived. He was one of the greatest collegiate UH basketball players of all time. Not to mention, he had a really

great couple of seasons on twenty one Jump Street. I don't know if you guys caught any of those episodes, but John I didn't know he was a regular. Yeah, Johnny Depp would go talk to him or Richard Grieko. Would they go, I don't, I forgot why, but I believe he played a coach. I don't believe he was a cop, but they would go, like talk to much of it sometimes. So I like him too. He's a very independent thinker. He'll do a lot of contrarian pieces.

I don't agree with him all the time, but I do think it's very healthy to have independent thinkers, and a lot of times, you know, we are out here now, there's a lot of stuff we wouldn't say publicly that we talk about amongst ourselves. And I think it's really cool that he has the balls to like write an op ed piece for a time that kind of goes against like stereotypical views a lot of times. So Kareem Abdul Jabbar is an amazing athlete, one of the best of all times, and he appears to be a really

great human being as well, great pick. Obviously a talented writer too. I mean, I want to know who's his agent he w A Did he have to fire them because of the do you know what's going on there? Um? Should we give him a staffing boost? Yeah? What's staffing boost? Kareem. We need to get him on, young Sheldon. Okay, it's been too long. Um, should we just go into our second Okay, So Steve, you're up again with your number two.

All right, my my number two. It's controversial because I'm kind of picking a team, but I just couldn't figure out which one of these three guys to pick. But it's got to be the Zephyr Skate team out of Long Beach. I'm talking about Tony Alba, Jay Adams, and Stacy Peralta, who reinvigorated, who basically created what we know skate boarding to be now it was virtually dead. They were surfers and they became you know, the there's parts of Santa Monica south of Wilshire used to be poor.

The area between Venice and Santa Monica was run down, and they took a lot of techniques from surfing, created street skating as we know it, created pool skating as we know it, and then we're the first steps to vertical skating as well. So that I'm talking about these boys, Yeah, the downtown and z Z town boys. Uh, Jay, I mean they're all, like I said, all three of them have done such like amazing cool things. Jay Adams was

kind of the punk version of them. I forget, I forgot the name of the guy who he's the he's the hairdresser and once upon a time in Hollywood, what's that guy's name? Oh, um, yeah, it's that guy. He plays Jay Adams in the movie. And he ends up being real like quasi Cholo. Yeah, that whole ghetto scene is like they took a lot of Cholo and Latino kind of influenced and created the art and all of

that stuff. They were just poor and uh, that's one one reason why I love them so much is that they were just poor and skateboarding, and um, they ended up getting rich and super influential. Did Like I said, Jay Adams was like a punk rocker. He never made that much. But Stacy Peralta created Powell Poor Alta, the Bones Brigade, some of the hugest things discovered, Tony Hawks, Steve Caballero, all those guys, and then Tony Alva made his own company. Alva got super rich, one of the

greatest skaters of all times. So those guys created modern skateboarding as we know it right down the street not that far away. And I don't think they really get the credit. There was the movie and of course the documentary, but theo if you look at them, there's like my kind of white guys you could tell, like white guys

that grow up and brown neighborhoods. You know, like white guys they are still Dodger fans or like I'll die for you full like that kind of thing that guys like, you know they're in like Fast and Fury is franchise. That's why Paul Walker was so made so much too, like so many Mexicans, because we all there's always like a few white guys like that where it's like that's like he wears vans and ship and it's like I

love you for like you're Yeah. So I think the Zephyr Boys, all three of them, if I had to choose, I guess I would pick Tony Alva because he was more cool than Stacy. Don't have to you can. You can have all of them now is l A Is

l a skateboarding capital of the world in California? Yeah, it's See, I've never lived in a place where it's like skateboard culture, skateboard photo shoots, and I'm so intimidated, like we have a famous skateboard right by our house, and when I walked by, I'm like, I hope you think I'm not a mom, Like I just want them to think I'm like cool, Like I'm almost like inclined to just like have a blunt hanging out of my

mouth to be like I'm down, but I don't. I just sort of like move away from them, and they see my Lily, you know, my Lulu Lemon and are like, suck this bag. But it's for sure l A feels so much like into skateboarding. Yeah, I mean it's it's

derived from surfing. So they basically would wake up and you can only surf from you know, surfing's dad here in in l A in southern California by like ten am, So they needed something to do with the rest of the day, along with the invention of because they used to use like I think the wheels used to be clay,

so it was a meeting of technology as well. At the same time when they were coming up, the poly eurth thing wheel was created, so they were able to used to have to eat ship hard, which they do now, but at least the poly eurething whale allowed them to like cover more ground and be a little more off roady with the ship really truly create the street style that we know of today. Yeah, we gotta watch We gotta watch that documentary again. I saw it like fifteen

years ago. Um, and yeah, I mean it's crazy. I mean yeah, whit Night moved to Highland Park before it started to get gentrified because of the skate park. Garvon's over here, like skate culture is so big, and the thing is Steve, Like, that's just such a great pick because you know, when we're doing research, we go through like the top fifty lists that are are on the internet. It's not even mentioned, and it's like that should be

in the top ten. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, That's why I knew you were going to pick all the fucking Lakers. So I was like, all right, what can I bring to the table and so yeah, and uh yeah, I was never I was always too fat. I had multiple boards when I was in fourth and fifth grade. Always too fat to even ali. Uh. But I love a fat skateboarder, Oh my god, I love it. Like I almost want a Christmas ornament that's a fat skateboarder. I think they're so surfing Santa. That's pick thank you. What's

your pig? No? No, no, no no. Um, Well, we were just having too much fun here, Megan, what's your number two? Pick? Okay? So I also was assuming CD was picking all Lakers, um and and my number to pick a Cheryl Miller um much in much in the way that we we need Serena and Venus on this list. Cheryl Miller is the greatest how do I say It's the greatest female basketball player who was never given the

stage and accolades that she is deserving of. Born and raised here to Riverside poly Tech High School, then went to USC where she was a two time n C double a champion, three time Nate Smith Player of the Year. So she was the m v P of women's basketball three three out of her four years. Her number number thirty one has been retired by the USC Trojans. She has won a gold medal. Every everything that was available

to her as a female basketball player, she accomplished. She she excelled and was the best at every single thing, and sadly, there just was a ceiling. Back then. There wasn't a place for her to even necessarily like be in Europe. There were these like obscure leagues and she would do them and dominate them, but it just didn't have the mainstream appeal that even something like the w n B A has now. And I also think that she is so instrumental in creating her brother as an

incredible basketball player. So she you know, who's also from l A and and played at u C. L A and so I feel is very southern California as well. But Cheryl like played here, is here, she just defines it. Like seeing her in those USC jerseys like dunking. She's just she's just incredible and and I just I want her to be and just like the Sports Hall of Fame like that, she just deserves to be amongst the greats wherever they honor the greats, and they just didn't.

The w NBA didn't exist, like all they had was like the Olympics back then, right, and she want to go, you know, like you okay, you're gonna play in college, you win everything. You're gonna play at the Olympics, you win everything. She was drafted by a men's league when she left college, but it just didn't, you know, and then she ended up having injuries that ended her career, but went on to coach is one of the greatest

female analysts of all time. You know, like there's just never been anything in her life with regards to sports that she hasn't been the best at. Well. And we talked, You talked about the Serena and Venus sort of dynamic coming up. We very much have Eralda. Think for Reggie Miller, like the you know, the documentaries and the footage of their background battles and Reggie getting heckled from grade school on.

For them chanting her, it's like, you know that they're they heckled him by saying Cheryl Miller, it's like yelling to Lebron James Michael's like, that's not a heckle. That is a compliment, you know, but to him it feeled him to be as good as he is. But yeah, that's like if if you're you're sparring partner, was Tyson or or holy Fielder or whatever. And yeah, it's just

the NBA didn't have it together in time. And I'm almost like, did the NBA or w n b A not reached its peak early or like have that momentum because we didn't have someone like Cheryl early on. Yeah, that's so funny, because yeah, it must have been so bad for him when when just being called a woman was a put down. To have someone just saying your sister's name, how angry it made him just shooting out

there longer. Please don't ever call me a woman. You know it's like, you mean, the greatest female basketball player the whole time. They also look so much alike, you know, like they have uncanny resemblance and they're like sibling love, I love, I mean, they just really right. The Miller family mean so much. I didn't realize she's from Los Angeles. Dude, that's awesome, great, Yeah, thank you. Okay, remember two again, very almost like we we can talk about. Let's not

spend too much time on it. But I guess the position because I think people, especially now we'll will be you know, it's not controversial positioning. But I'm gonna say Kobe Bryant, and yeah, he is he is l A. Like right now, you can't drive more than two miles

without seeing a mirror of him. Won five titles here, had opportunities to leave stuck around and you know, he to me is just he is l A. He was at unifier, like you said, And yeah, I mean I also had that same thing with you, Steve Where and I said it on our very first episode of this podcast, where I was like, I hate Kobe Bryant, And the thing is it was an act. It was like an active hate like and it was something that I think

he manufactured a little bit, was that villain role. It was like, yes, I am gonna be the ballhog because I'm the only one who can do it for us. And he absolutely did do it for l A and very much put l A on his back. And one it was some weird he won it with a shackless team.

I think like he kind of fulfilled he like put that promise out there, like I'm going to win this for myself in for l A without shock and put together kind of like an odd team to do that in one two with that team, and and just always you know, kind of was like a representative l A. So yeah, I think he's one of the greatest l A athletes of all time. Uh And And you know, as much as I said those things earlier, I was in my early twenties in that first round with Shack

and then of course with him and Gasol. But I mean those first those three championships with Shack and Kobe were some of the most amazing experiences sports experience I had in my life, being in big parties and going crazy. But I remember that that was like a hack a Shack time where the last minute or two would literally be forty five minutes in the last minute or two of the game, and it was like, give me a

fucking break. But all of those wins, the comebacks against the Sacramento Kings, that series, all of those things, uh, loom so huge and my personal memory. And you know, I know people talked about when he died that he had mentioned, you know, I want to die young, the only way to be great. But you know, it truly is like now he instantly will always be thought of as a Los Angeles legend, like in a way that I don't know if he would have just gotten older

and passed away would have happened. Now. He he got gunned down at the prime of his youth. It's terribly sad and tragic, not to mention his daughter, who's going to be the best basketball players that they live. It's so tragic, But it also I think allowed us to see him as a human being and with grace and love in a way that we may not have seen him before or if he if he would have even been open up to that, although it does appear that his kids were softening him and like helping him to

become a better, more loving person. So I mean, you can't fucking go wrong with Kobe Bryant. I mean, what a fucking pig. It's making me think, is there a professional sports franchise that cares more about their legends and legacy and taking care and and bringing like their stars

back into the organization forever more than the Lakers? Maybe the Yankee Like I just I don't know, but they just I mean, even this Lebron contract that just happened, and they talk about Kobe's contract and like they really just love to be Like if you were a Laker, then like you're gonna get one of these funny jackets and you're gonna have a photo with Cookie and Magic and their sweet at some point, like you are you

are part of the family forever. If in a way that feels so much stronger than any other organization I can think of, Well, you know it's a little hack to say, but you know, for whatever reason, uh, theres really do buy into the storytelling and the myth aspect of Hollywood. I mean that they they believe in it so strongly. And to your point, Megan, that one Magic says I'm a part of this conglomerate buying the Dodgers, which who you know, how who knows how involved he is.

Really Everyone's like, wow, what a great idea, Like we love we love it. What a unifying presence to have Magic Johnson over there too. So yeah, they're they're they're an incredible organization. They keep coming back with you know, all these amazing stories. Really Shack and Kobe, Kobe without Shack, and Paul Gasol and now Lebron James and Anthony Davis, them giving them these huge contracts. They're they're an amazing organization.

I'm really glad that I can love them again. Yeah. Um, let's take a quick break and then we'll be back with the number one and we are back. Okay, So, Steve, how we do this is um, since you are guests, you're gonna be our big grand fin only. So Megan and I will pick our number ones and we'll close it out with you. So Megan, Okay, So Kobe was my number one. Um, but I had a person in number one that I took out, so I would like

to honor them. Now. Um, I do have some honorable mentions, and I don't think I'm taking any from anybody's because these are people that they're not on the list because their careers have not been long enough and they're still currently playing. Um. Aaron Donald I think will go down as one of the greatest l A athletes. I it seems like him and Sean McVeigh really have a have a vibe and a thing that you gotta imagine you like playing in l A too. Like, I just don't

know where else he would want to go. So I hope for his sake and the city's sake that he stays here. And then also Clayton Kershaw, I think we will look back and be like, hell yeah, that that's a that is a white boy picture player, you know, like that is if there was a movie, he'd be in it as the white boy Blonde picture. Um. But I was so happy for him to, like, you know,

get to win a World Series. And I know like how much they talked about the monkey on the back for Peyton, and I think Clayton was just as much. So it's got to be like such a relief and an excitement for him. Um, so my number one is going to be a man I actually no so little about, but I hear his name probably once a week, and that's Sandy Kofax. Um truly like Mr Dodger, Mr Baseball, A seven time All Star, four time World Series Champion, three times cy Young Award. He pitched four no hitters.

I what that like? Even reading his stats and like, yeah, he almost sound he's like a legend, Like Sandy Kofax is. The name is so much bigger than anything I've ever known because you just here and you're like, oh, that's some old timey guy who just lit it up and he really fucking did and just was on the on the Dodgers in Brooklyn on the Dodgers. Here just is the Dodgers, and I just I like think of him

and Vince Scully as as Dodgers. Yeah. Yeah, Sandy Kovax and a man of character too, very kind, still strong with the organization. And you know he famously would not pitch on the Sabbath as a Jewish person, And this is a big deal when like being a Jewish person, was you know, it's still not the easiest thing sometimes, but where it was like they you know, America hated Jewish people, so um yeah, Sandy Kofax obviously one of the best dodges of all time. I'm so glad I

didn't pick him. I was very tempted to, and I'm glad I did it. Okay, great, he was in my number one slot, and then I was like, I guess I just don't know him enough to like have him as my number one, and I moved him into honorable mentions. But then once Kobe was off, It's like, yeah, this is the this is like who if old men were making this list as their number one, and you know, I got to give it to the old man sometimes. And is Samler's character and Big Daddy named after inspired

his name is Sunny Kofax. I don't know. She is always looking for a Sandler connection. That's a great name of a podcast, the Sandler Connection. Alright, see if you want another podcast, I'm writing it down, all right, my number one pick. I also have one other honorable mention that I'm not I'm saying. I'm not saying it because it may be someone else's pick, but I'll tell you guys after if it's not okay, all right, mine is My number one pick is Magic Johnson. I just like

we talked about him a bunch on this. The thing to me is that he is not only you know, we've talked about a player, the Hollywood connection and entrepreneur businessman. Uh don't forget cookie, Yeah, I mean, and don't forget like two years ago people like he. People thought he was the most like dysfunctional Lakers GM, but they since they've won, they are now we're back to like Magic. Yeah, we love Magic. This is all because of him, and

I think he is. I think, like all these players, it's that legacy we're talking about of l A. Whether the team is currently bad, players are like, no, I want to go to l A because if we can win there, like it's easy to get players to come there for help. But also players saw Magic's career post the Lakers and go, we have almost a life after basketball if we can make it work in l A. And I think that's because of Magic. And I just think Magic Johnson. You just think l A. You think

don't you even think the Dodgers now? Like who knows how much he really does? He says he's a majority owner. But like, yeah, Magic Johnson to me is like l a outside of sports. He's just like he could be the mayor. After the last few weeks, he should be the mayor. Yeah. He cares about the community and how

he handled getting hi v uh. You know, anybody else would have been taken down by the thing, but he took it as an opportunity to make it a learning lesson, and he he almost singlehandedly he stigmatized AIDS and HIV and what you know, people we used to write it off is just simply a gay disease when that meant a bad thing back then. But he was the He put it on the face of someone we all knew

and loved. He touched people's hearts, and he practically overnight changed the way that the world viewed this deadly disease. And now and now that we found solutions and vaccines and stuff where you can't completely hear it but you can easily live with it. I mean, I don't know how you can't like attribute a lot of that to Magic Johnson. Plus he had a really bad talk show. You gotta admire someone swinging for the fences. Yeah, you know, it's like what bad, Like, what's the worst he can

do where people finally turn on Magic hasn't happened yet. No, he's the greatest. He's the greatest laker of all time. Yeah. I also think his love and support of e J is really something that you see mirrored. Not that Dwyane Wade took a page from his book, but like Magic, it wasn't just HIV positive. He also had like a very public out child um who is like very fluid within their gender. And I was like, yeah, this is my kid, what do you wanna do or say like

you know, I'll fuck you up? You know, Like he's just like yeah, this, this is and and that's obviously probably somewhat l a but like never hit e J, celebrated e J, put e J front and center. Man, I would be stoked to meet Magic Johnson. That I was just I don't I don't think about like being excited to meet people that much, but just talking about him like this, that would be like, Yeah, I would be really cool to meet Magic Johnson. Oh yeah, I

would be thrilled to meet Cookie. Cookie was like the first Cookie made jeans, like before they were like apple Bottom. Maybe it was after, but it was like these are these are jeans for girls with big butts? And I was like, you know what, cookie, thank you, thank you. I had to get him hem I had a pair of cookie jeans, but like you know, I've got a big butt, but then little short legs, so I had to go get my cookies. Hemmed, I had to get my cookie jeans. Hand I love him. They came up

so high. Well, she's an artist, Steve, take us home. An honorable mentions Wayne Gretzky. I know he's from Um Canada and the oilers a lot, but to me, he made the Kings, he put the Kings, he made hockey in Los Angeles, so way Gretzy's big oral hers Scheiser has always really touched my heart. He was so Christian and such a good man too when I was Christian,

so that meant a lot to me. And then finally for honorable mention, I love I've loved lamar Odom for so long since he was originally a clip and then it came back for the Lakers, so he was never you know, he was never that top guy. But uh lamar owed um to me, Like I mean, I remember him in the Clippers. When he was first came out of high school, I just loved him so much, so I love lamar Odom. Uh, and then I fell in

love with him even more. He picked Chloe, which Chloe was always my favorite, and uh, I just really love that. So lamar Odom and then finally my number one choice of all time for best Los Angeles athlete. This is, uh, you know, kind of personal. You'll know why. Obviously, Fernando Vellezuela for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fernando mania hit. I was too little, but growing up, I mean I think I was three when that happened. So the rest of that time, I mean, he still was huge all the

way through I think they're eighty eight championship. So Fernando Vealezuela was huge in the Mexican community. Everyone knows that Chavez Ravine was cleared for Dodgers Stadium. They uh kicked a bunch of Mexicans out of their house, promised them that they were gonna be new projects full of houses, and then just made it Dodger stadiums. So the Mexican community in Los Angeles hated the Dodgers for years and years until fucking Fernando made it. Okay, they went and

they got him, found him in Mexico, brought him back. Uh. He won his first eight games, He won the cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in the same year. That's like never happened. And uh he led them that first year to a World Series championship. That was his big year. He was always good. He I think he played ten complete games. They don't even do this anymore, but he played ten complete games. He had his first shutout in so almost ten years after he came to

the league. Just really, you know, Mexicans have been getting the shaft for so long. I think when you think about America, America to me has always been whites, the white and black story. It's whites versus blacks. But you know, Mexicans, we've always been in the back king And uh, I do think that we're coming up. It's getting to the time now where it's third generation and fourth generation and we're not worried about our relatives getting shipped back home yet.

So we're going to start coming out from out of the rocks. And I do think that you're going to see a lot more Mexican superstars, not only in the area of sports, but in entertainment as well. But the first real big superstar for me and for us and for the Los Angeles Dodgers is Fernando Valenzuela. Beautiful, I mean, even the guy. And I'm so sad that his name is escaping me right now. Who was the closer for this team. It's like he means so much to the

Mexican community. And and this is now forty years later, like it's still is he Filipino or in Mexican He had an eye surgery, so he does, haven't. So I get why you were maybe confused. Yeah, but for Nandomania, there was nothing like it. I remember being little and just I mean, and I loved him too. He used nine t when he first got here, twenty by the end of the that first season. But he was a little He was a little chubby guy. If you've seen him,

he looks terrible. He looks just absolutely terrible, terrible skin. He looked like like he he had a beard, gut, a little fat Mexican guy who just came up and live up. The pictures amount obviously influential to me in my lifestyle. So he'll always go down as as my absolute favorite Dodger, and I don't think that you know, this allies full of Mexicans, and I don't think that the Dodgers would be such a Mexican team if they would have never had for Nano Vellezuela. So I'm glad

he did. He made it okay to love the Dodgers again after they did a terrible, terrible Mexican community. I wish, did you. I wish I wish they muld find some way to say they're sorry, to make a statue or something, because it's not like everybody. It's like America too with slavery. It's like we all know what happened. Just say sorry and means so much in the world if you just

just you know, have the press. The stadium is just so the stadium is so beautiful, like and it's it's on this hilltop like when I took my parents overre like this is like this is where you put a stadium. And I'm like, yes, but little tricky tricky Tricky passed there. Um my honorable mention that I it's just worth noting because I think of him as the rams is Eric Dickerson right that I don't even see other Rams jerseys out here, Like no one has a Jared Goff jersey,

so you would see maybe some girly he's gone. You just see people in vintage Eric Dickerson Rams jerseys and then you're like, okay, you've you've been with the team for a long time. Great call. Yeah, um, Steve, you have truly one of the funniest twitters. Like if people were like you can have five twitters that you're still love to look at, you would be on my five. Um, so please tell our listeners where they can find you.

Thank you so much, making that means a lot. You can find me a big Herd on Twitter, Hernia on Instagram. You check out just I Plug on my podcast there, so check those out. Then, thank you guys so much for having me on. I had a blast. Absolutely well. We hope we can see you and Julia in person soon when things are are better. Um, thank you so much,

Kei for doing it. Thank you, and you can find me at c J Toldonna on Everything, Megan at Megan Gaily on Twitter, at bet No Better Megan Gaily Betting Instagram, Betton Megan. That is fun. I'm so bad at betting on sports, so um and gosh, guys, happy holidays. It's getting it's not even getting scary, it's staying scary. It's gotten scary, staying scary, and escalating towards scarier. So be safe,

keep yourself safe, your family, say wear a mask. Harl Anthony Towns has had seven family members die of COVID. Now this is an NBA the Timberweld first Star are and he's lost seven family members. Where the fucking mask? Please? Um, and thank you so much for listening, rate review, and we will have more Greatest for you next week. The

Greatest is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.