Greatest Post-Playing Careers with Jensen Karp

I liked it in there a lot. We tried the room that just has a liquor car and the peloton. But we have a neighbor who decides to rev seven motorcycles just like them. I hate him so much. He's my number one Quarantine enemy. Um, but it would be great if we found it he listened. No, he doesn't. Um. But today we are so excited to welcome a dear friend who is also so cool and talented and also now a member of the I Heart Radio podcast family. Wow, we can all go to the Christmas party together. Um.

We have written together on the SPS. He has a book called Kanye West. I thought it was twenty it's five hundred. Um creator of drop the mic and to to some maybe even to me. Most impressively, a writer on the first season of The Mass Singer, which revolutionized TV. Give it up for Jensen carp Oh. Hello, Hi, unless you guys know something about him owing me more money, it is technically three Okay, I'm sorry, I was and I thought it was five. Dress listen. I found an

unauthorized revised version Jenson off the Black Market. Um, but how are you doing man? Thanks for joining us. I'm doing pretty good. But I do like the idea that I mean. The title is already very petty, but imagine how petty with you over to right a novel? Um, you're you're a new dad too? Yeah? Ten month old? Uh he is at His name is Adlert, a beautiful little boy. He looks looks like Marve Albert already. Yeah yeah,

full head of hair, not like Women's Entree or anything. Um, but yeah, we really were living the quarantine life a little before. He was born prematured, so we were in thenqueue for a month and he had a lung disorder. Very cool things. Uh, he worked it out. Everything is good now. But we we have been living like this already, so this is just sort of now everyone's down to

our level. Yeah, I mean that's we had Sarah Tillan on the podcast a few weeks ago, and then I have some friends that are new moms and they're like, yeah, it's not a terrible time to be doing this, because this is kind of what maternity leave. Paternity leave ends up being. You're just in your house taking care of the little sweetie and he's doing well health wise. Now, yeah,

he's doing really good. He's thriving. He uh definitely doesn't have the fluid in the lungs is basically what he had, and now it's it's kind of all gotten gotten out. And it was just a really scary, you know, first few months. But um, you know, I think people like us have it pretty easy with ten month olds or younger or you know, once once I hit three, four or five, it's like you have to really entertain them. And like, right now I can just hand him a

water bottle and you can like walk off for two hours. Yeah. Yeah, we have friends that have a six month old and a four year old. Yeah, every time I see her, she looks at the brink of a mental breakdown. Yeah, it's it's we have we have friends who have twins that are like six or seven. They are two of the most calm minded people I've ever known in my life, and so chill, and they I've never gotten straight up.

I can't believe schools not coming back texts like they actually are like fully breaking down in front of me. So I feel for them way way more than me. Yeah. I mean, my brother is he's divorced now and so he shares custody with his X and he has a daughter. He's in second grade, and he's like, we get like eight emails a day about assignments and I'm like, what, that's insane to me. Yeah, he's smart too, he's a lawyer, but he's still just like and he's doing it. But

you don't want your kids to be stupid. But it does seem like a lot and you're not having to teach the child anything, so you're really lucked out. No, literally, we don't. We've ever even taught him a thing. If it's raining, we go, what's this? Yeah, that's great, Jensen. So we're honored to have you on. I also, I don't know if I told you because I need your

podcast a couple of weeks ago. But it's your Your career has just always been so fascinating, and you know, I've admired it from afar just because like we know friends who are either you know, comedians or comedy writers. But you're like sort of all over the place in such a cool way like you've been. You know, you obviously wrote that book about you being a rapper when

you're young. You're really for the sps. You creative dropped the mic, and you also own and I've always wanted to talk to you about this um or you founded gallery, which is I don't know, I don't know if you know. I'm just like such a big nostalgia fan and you know, love vintage everything and and just old eighties and nineties movies. So yeah, I mean, just tell it. How what the hell did you want to do growing up? And how

did all these things happen? I guess well, what I wanted to do is definitely something I never could have done, which is basically played baseball, which is what you know. I kind of went through life thinking could happen for me, and then I was like, wait, I'm super Jewish, that never happens. H Gabe Kapler. It's like all I have um, and so I was always a good rapper, and I guess, you know, I felt like battling was always my strength.

And I was doing local battles and doing all sorts of you know, going to the House of Blues and participating in ciphers and stuff as a kid um and I had like a small brush which talked about in the book. I had a small brush with being signed with iced teas rhyme syndicate when I was in middle school. I know, very weird things happened to me rapping wise, and I figured that I could maybe do that for a living. But I was going to college for writing.

I went to USC for communications in journalism with a focus on cinematic writing. And I kind of figured I'd do comedy. I'd start going up and I started to, you know, do the open mics and comedy store and things like that a college. And then I entered this radio contest in Los Angeles called roll Call, and it was where you battle three or four people a day. And I had already got a bit of a name battling at that point. And I won the contest for like forty six days or something that I know the

winner before me had only one ten power one of six. Yeah, okay, so like it wasn't like it wasn't like a rock station where they're like where it was like the real hip station. Yeah, it was. It was intense. Yeah, I mean, you know it was like we have some days you

have competition, other days you wouldn't. And um, I it was before iPhones and iPods and before satellite radio, so people were really listening to terrestrial radio and we just like really, I mean, it captured sort of a weird moment in hip hop nersery here in l A. And as soon as I left, I went back to USC to do finals, and Jimmy Iving basically jumped in the middle of me in college and said, I'm going to

give you a record deal for a million dollars. Yeah, And so Jimmy Jimmy signed me to inter Scope, and I recorded an album with Kanye and Black Eyed Peas and Red Man and Fabulous and all these different people. Lived this like crazy life for two years. It didn't work out for me, and then I kind of went back into my normal life. It's so interesting too, because you grew up in Calabasas I did well up in wood up in Woodland Hills, which is yeah, the ugly

step son. Oh and really quick you brought up the gallery. Sorry, I didn't even address it. I was just one of the things that was really cool to me too. Well, the gallery. I when I stopped wrapping, Um, I didn't know what I wanted to do when I have this money, and my money manager was like, you can't just like buy blue rays or DVDs at the time, and wow, that's what c J does. So that's interesting that a money manager tells you not to do that. Well, I still do it, but but he he at the time,

was like, you can't just do that. And so I started looking into businesses I was interested in. And I love art and always been a fan. Didn't know much about it, but I knew that my friends like Kanye at the time or d J a M who was making a lot of money at the time, like those guys were spending like, you know, five on sneakers and then you'd go to their house and they have like

a ten dollar poster. And I felt like and I felt like, you know, from like bed bath and Beyond, and I was like, there's there's gotta be a middle ground here where it's still affordable, but it's as to you. And that's where Gallery Nice came up, and I opened up with my friend TEDD Cromwell, and uh, you know, it's sort of pop culture and nostalgia inspired art I have. We have Jensen to blame for a lot of my current I don't want to blame him because he's very

talented and cool, you know, but you. He maybe has enabled you, but you are You are the addict and he is the supplier. Um and so you grew up in l A and went to USC which now that degree must mean so much more to you given the things that have happened over the last year. But it's like, I just wonder if I'm sure you would have because c J and I are not from here and we wound up here. But like a boy like you growing up in St. Louis, Like, how would that have looked

differently than a shot? I mean, you had you have head shots from when you were a kid that are so cute. And it's to me, growing up in a place where like you, we didn't know anything about show business, it's just so fascinating to me. Yeah, to a lot of people, and for good reason. I mean, I did not grow up with any connections. My father sold cars. My mother had a local kind of like advertising paper that she ran out of the house with like cue bonds and stuff in it. And neither of them had

truly any connections. But then at my school, you know, you'd go you'd go to school and there be kids like I just realized Harry Nielsen's kid went to our school and I didn't even know, Like I didn't even I didn't even know he did. He was in my grade. Uh, and we had like no idea. So it wasn't like like my wife, for example, went to went to high school with me, and she was one of the famous. Yeah, she was super famous when she was at her high school and um, and like no one ever made a

big deal out of it. It was like just sort of like, yes, she she was there, you know, And I think that it maybe it is sort of a Los Angeles thing, but I don't think anyone was like really freaking out, like Christina Riti came in visit. Here's

the thing. Remember do you remember Gabby Hoffman. Okay, so Gabby Gabby went to our high school as well, and she wasn't like super famous yet, but she was a kid in the field of dreams and she was in now and then yeah, and she was doing stuff and she was in a Woody Allen movie while we were in high school, and like she was always hip and cool and whatever. And she had Christina Ricchie come visit our school one day, like she just came and hung out with her. And you would think that would like

blow the school up. Yeah, but like no one even knew. Like if I bring it up to people, now, do you remember when Christina Reachi visit our school? And we'll be like, now, I don't remember that. Oh my gosh. I mean we had a kid who used to take his shirt off and then that meant he was about to like fight someone and he was left to us Like that was but that's and like there were rumors that the FBI was investigating him and we were like, wow, he is famous, Um, but I don't think he very

welcome be dead now. Um, But that was that was the level of fame. It's yeah, it's just it's it's so cool. But I get that it didn't seem strange to you at the time. Yeah, it seems stranger when

I got to college because in college. People would ask stuff like that, and like the Menendez brothers went to my high school, you know, and so like you bring in like the movie Alpha Dogs basically about my high school and the high school next door, and so we like you bring that stuff up and people are like really, and you're like, I don't know if I've ever talked about this with anyone, Like it doesn't come up a lot when you're in it, but when we're out of it,

you're like, I guess it's very odd. The val Victorian wasn't like Menendez boys just skimming over. Can I ask you did you go to one of the high schools where you walked outside to class? You mean like it was not enclosed? Correct, So like I don't know if you know this, but like California, these coast and in Midwest kids, like when when I watched movies like from the eighties and nineties, like just one of the guys and I see them walking outside during a school day,

I'm like, how is this allowed? This is like science fiction? It is so cool. It's to me, it's like the number one. Like California, we only I think we only had one building that could have been used in a winter storm. On top of that, everything else was outdoors.

And then it's so funny because like I have heard this before that not that specifically, but when I went to college and people would be like, oh, man, did you live near that amusement park at the beginning of step by Step, which is like so funny to me because like I never saw a step by Step, but obviously as soon as people brought it up, I went and looked it up, and like it's just the matter

or not the matter one. It's just that magic Mountain ride, but they've superimposed it near the water, so like that doesn't exist. But it's like people have this weird TV movie thoughts about what it was like living here, and I was quite square, quite nerdy, um, and so I never like lived crazy life percent until maybe rap stuff started.

All right, Well, before we get too off topic, I do get like going down this, like hearing about all of Jensen's career accomplishments does kind of tie into this topic, yeah, because I mean, and you ended up working with a lot of these people will probably mention, but today's topic or the greatest topic is the greatest post playing careers, and it's sort of we're going to keep it a a

little bit open. But it's essentially people who in athletes who have sort of kept their business is going after they're sort of like prime playing, created a new business that made them famous in other ways. J and I were talking about this last night. I ended up picking people that did not like obviously there's commentators and there's coaches that were players and then went on to do great things as those professions. I think of those as

almost too close. Like I ended up picking people that are in a completely different field of work and rose to prominence just as much as they were in their playing career. Okay, so that's what that was what I did, And I don't know. Yeah, Jensen, do you want to lead us off with your number three? Yeah? Mon, number three is I guess he's I think this is perfect because obviously, like you said, answering shack stuff like that seems pretty easy, and I don't. I don't think any

of us are are. We're all a little obscure. So so I think my pick for number three is going to be Kevin Johnson. And that's purely because Kevin Johnson, like when he ran for office the first time, I think people were like that Kevin Johnson, you know what I mean, Like, I don't think people thought he was gonna end up being the mayor of Sacraments UM. And I know that there's been like listen, I know his Wikipedia is filled with garbage as to what happened while

he was governor UM. But you know, it was still kind of an amazing thing where you actually thought, oh my god, the sports guys you know, can actually run for office. Like that was kind of you know, obviously there were people like Bradley and stuff before him, but

I thought that was pretty awesome. And he was a big guy as far as like when I did a little bit of research for this, he was super into this program called Volunteer Sacramento, and he was very green and he actually did a decent amount of good stuff while he was in office and was reelected once, but then maybe ran into some issues with sexual assault and harassment. Okay, maybe those things did. To me, that only makes him a legitimate politician, Like it's like, oh, yeah, you're a

real politician. Okay. He was the first black mayor of Sacramento two and so that's a very impressive feet as well. Yeah, well, a lot of issues involving you know, the pieing incident. Uh, you know, there was, there was a lot of things that happened. But beyond that, Kevin Johnson going from NBA basketball player and a good one, yeah, great, yeah, great one and then going into politics I thought was always

a pretty interesting pivot. And I wonder if you know, we're watching the Last Dance like everyone else, and he is one of those guys that he that were in Jordan's tracks of like he prevented, you know, Kevin Johnson and Charles Barkley, and these guys are winning a championship that they weren't fulfilled from their playing career, and then they go that's interesting. Yeah, and you know that's just

a theory of mind. They're like, well, I you know, there's no Michael Jordan my way of becoming the mayor of Sacramento, and so I'm really going to go for it. Thus, you know, and this happens. I could see that Barkley too, because Barkley is just so he he almost like ramped up after his playing career. Like everyone knows him. He's

my favorite comedian. He's everywhere, and he's and he's so funny and he's so good on TV and then when you see him in the last dance, it's like, oh yeah, that was so demoralizing that c G. I think you do have a good point that it was like, Okay, I couldn't win a ring, but I can win Mr. Congeniality, and he and him and Shack have very much gone on to do that, even though Shaq has rings too. I promised not to pick anyone else's sexual assault. It's

totally fine. Well, I mean I was having this conversation when last night too, it's like this this top kind of bummed me out in a way because there's very few if and I struggled to find any woman who has been able to obviously Becky Hammond, and there's women that have been gone gone on to be incredible coaches. Christie Everett is like one of my favorite tennis commentators,

but they're still in the sport. And I think some of that is just as a society, men are allowed to conquer and do lots of different things, and I think we are like, oh, Okay, a woman succeeded at this, great that's you get that. And then and then they either go on to raise families or or they that there they become activists. But there's very few women that that have been able to pivot into the careers that we're going to be talking about, which are mostly politics, acting,

and entrepreneurship. And we just don't allow the space for a woman to be successful in multiple fast sets publicly, I think unfortunately. Yeah, I mean hopefully that's changing over time with I mean, honestly, I just for my podcast, I just talked to Aaron Andrew's husband about, you know what it's like being a King's coach because he's like a developmental coach right now and he's just like sitting on his couch and Aaron Andrews is running like six

seven businesses during the quarantine. So like that kind of stuff really stokes me out as far as like where we're going with it. But like you said, yes, I had to pick someone who has quite a tainted past when I looked at politics. Well, but like even calling him Aaron Andrew's husband, it's like that's a win, you know that progress. Okay, so my first one, this is gonna feel less obscure, but like, I don't know, I just love it so much. Is George Foreman. Yeah, obviously

a boxer. But if when you hear George Foreman, now you really just think of the grills. And so I was doing a little bit of I truly thought he invented the grill. He did not um in the nineties he invented the grill. Just was like, I would like to cook on this grill. That's what I thought. That's not what happened. Basically, a company went to him and was like, would you our spokesperson, and then it was

for a limited amount of time. I think it was like an event or one or two, and it was such a massive success that then they like re named the product after him, and he became the face of

this and then did the infomercials. And I mean, George Foreman grills are in the cultural lexicon just when you think about like when I think about men I dated in college, or like it's it's that you walk in and you see someone as a George Foreman and you're like, oh boy, or it's just to me, he is more successful as George Foreman grill than he is as George

Foreman the boxer, right right. And also he was the second person they asked I remember this stat and maybe I almost i'd say, I'm so that's pretty eye up. I think Hogan was the first person they asked that would I don't know if it would have taken off in a weird way kind looking it up quick, yeah, would turned down the Foreman girl. Yeah, just whole Cogan. No, George Foreman is like he he has such a really wholesome face, like he is the kindest looking boxer. He

truly looks like a little sweetie pie. And he's a truly perfect pitch man because of that, because he's likable,

he was famous. I think him being black, then you're you're incorporating so many more people like he's he's the type of like black men that even racist or like I like him, you know, like he everybody likes him, right, Yeah, I mean I I was watching him and I recommended this to to you, Megan when we were Kings and if you see that, and because I had known about the Former girl, and then I went back a few years later and watched when we were Kings the Muhammad

Ali documentar about Romeo the Jungle, and he's just such a stoic like they paint him essentially like drago and rocky and bare like says forwards the whole documentary. Um, and that's where Ali had to do the rope a dope on them to this what they're saying a machine and now you know, cut to what twenty years later and it was lean mean fighting machine, you know, diet grill. And it's just like so insane the timeline or that,

you know what time can do to people. Yeah, yeah, I mean, listen, Mike Tyson isn't that far off if you told if you told a twelve year old right now, that Mike Tyson was literally the baddest human being who may have ever walked this space to the Earth, they'd be like, you're kidding, Yeah, that the guy from Hangover. So I think that's kind of what we do with a lot of boxers over time. Yeah all right. Uh so my pick it's if it's not great to your standards, Megan,

because it's so connected. But I got a little inspired this morning because also this news came out that Tony Hawk Pro Skater the video game one and two are being remastered for the Xbox One, and so that's why my third pick is Tony Hawk. Yeah. I mean, but the skateboarding thing, but the thing is like these video games really were huge and are still huge, and I do have to say I get. I mean, I'm a hypocrite too. I love changing rules. Tony Hawk is the

face of was the face of the X games. He brought skateboarding into the mainstream, and so for him you kind of have to make an exception to be crazy to then pivot fully out of that. It's like he is us skateboarding to me, yeah, and to me it's like he's not even the coolest skater. And for him to create this video game and there's just like this.

There's a YouTube video where he describes how much money he made off these video games, which he didn't know how much he was gonna make going into it, or even like into the process. Like there's a story about how during the fourth video game, when it came out, someone at Activision or Never Software, whichever company it is, was like, Hey, can I take you out to lunch? And he's like sure, didn't know he was gonna get

paid at this lunch. And the guy's like, oh, yeah, here's your check for Tony pro Skater four and it was for four million dollars and he was just like, oh, just like can you imagine just getting an unexpected four million dollar check. And then I don't think Tony Larusa had the same lunch for Tony. Yeah, now I'm like where they go to lunch? Was it you know, was it lemonade or was it frank And I don't know. Um No, I think that that's a that's a good pick.

And so since then there's been what eight I think there's this remastered version coming up, is gonna be the eighteen Tony Hawk pro Skater video game. Well, and then he had all the fashion Birdhouse. I remember his cribs is like when that sticks out to me too. I just remember all his little blonde children looking like they were about to break and their kids and his kid, Riley, I believe, is like like you would expect some of these like celebrity mega celebrity kids to be like assholes.

And I mean I've watched a few videos about Riley really good skater uh and and really cool and done? How old is he? I think he's like, Okay, So sometimes I get concerned when you're watching videos of these young kids. Yeah, I was gonna say this is I can't I can't even imagine c J at hum being like, got to look up my young kids skateboard videos. He's just like, oh, Brawnie's and I'm like, you should not know where Brawny is. Okay, let's just let's leave Brawny

alone a little bit. Okay, let's take the outbreak and we'll be back with our next pix. Okay, we are back, all right, Jensen, Yes, second pick. Well, this is a perfect segue into promoting my new podcast called The No Sports Report, part of the I Heart Family along with three fort Media. And what I do is I talked to athletes during the quarantine, uh, and I find out things about them, what they've been doing while sports is down. Like a lot of these guys, this is the longest

they've ever went not playing the sport. It's crazy. So I've been able to speak to Gavin Lux and Sugar Ray Leonard and Bismack Biombo and a lot of great athletes over the last few weeks. But one that really sticks out with me is former NBA player Al Harrington, who, yes, who now runs a weed empire. He basically has a marijuana medicinal marijuana entire business that involves edibles and uh, you know, CBD and medicinal and he's he's part of

a large group ownership. He's the head of it. But like even like um, other basketball players are involved in it, Sally yeah, and it's he he al. Harrington really does seem to be making millions of dollars off selling weed.

And he came on the podcast and talked about, you know what it's doing for his small business, you know, the pandemic, and and then we talked about you know, marijuana in the NBA, and he was he was saying he thinks eighty to eighty five percent of players are currently using or recreationally used over the last two or three years. Um. And it's a big deal too because like guys like you know, he brought up Kobe, we

brought up him. I mean, now, Harrington a great example of a guy who probably could have been a little better or played a little longer if their injuries were

maintained a lot better in like a CBD way. Um. And so I I was always impressed in the idea that this guy retires, doesn't you know, do the normal route, and instead opens up an entire week business based off his grandmother who used marijuana when she was sick with cancer and so he saw that and then he became a bit of an advocate for it, and now it's

his living. I think that's great. I I was just looking him up because I wanted to see what year he was drafted by the Pacers and him and I have the same birthday him so, and he was on the Pacers twice. And he's like the kind of guy that I always really liked, but he wasn't. He kind of under achieved and so it's at least with the Pacers, and so it's nice to see him taking on an industry that I really so near my heart. Yeah, by the way, looking at his numbers now, which I did

in research for the podcast, he had a really good career. Yeah, like you don't think he did. And then we looked it up and I was like, in current day NBA, he would have been making like a ton of money. Well, you know, and that's why I always talk to people about sort of the business that I'm in. But like

they just never covered up. He wasn't like a highlights guy, and so they weren't seeing him on Sports Center and they weren't like he was like the third like the not third like fifth option on these teams, so they weren't getting covered. But like he came off the bench pacers mostly. I mean he played for I think sixteen or seventeen seasons too, So he did have He did have a long career, and he's got a great argument to be like, yeah, let me rub and put whatever

I want in my body. Yeah, tons of injuries. The last two years he only played like forty five games or something like that. But his his career stats, he was at thirteen and a half points per game and over five a half rebounds per game over a career where he played with tons of injuries. Um, and so I was like, man, guys, got quite a strong contract. Yeah. Absolutely, I'm really happy for him and happy to hear that. And I'm guessing he lives in California. No, he he

does not. I don't remember exactly where he lives. He does not live in California. No, but he obviously is here a lot, he said, because we smoke a lot of week his business. Uh, just so you know, I'm looking up his stats by season Atlanta, he obviously eighteen points a game, nineteen point two with the next he had quite a run there fourteen But but he did have his worst run with the Indiana Pacer, but earlier. I still love he was eighteen. I think he came

out right out of high school. High school. Yea, he he always had a sweatband on. I liked him. He got a dude. Yeah, he's good. I'm happy to hear about him. Okay, So my next person, I honestly did not even know about this guy. And I feel horrified by that because I'm sure my parents are gonna listen to it and be like, yeah, we loved him. His name is Byron White. Is this ringing a belt to either of you? Okay? So he played college football, basketball,

and baseball. He was the runner up in the Heisman Trophy and then was drafted. Led the NFL in rushing yards in his rookie season, which was okay, So it was a long time ago, but then he was an incredible NFL player. Left at one point to attend Yale Law School and became a Supreme Court justice. Yes, he

was nominated to the Supreme Court by JFK. Served on the Supreme Court for thirty two years as a Liberal judge and was a part of n C double a versus Board of Regions of the University of California, was on the court during Roe v. Wade. He is the twelfth longest Supreme Court justice to ever serve and then he was um succeeded by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. So he's incredible. I mean, this man. He was born in Colorado, went to University of Colorado, where he was a three sport athlete.

Football was obviously his standout. But he served in World War Two. He was a part of the Navy. Like man, I mean he It was really tough too, because in the politics it feels like a lot of athletes become Republicans or at least like you know, like Kevin Johnson and Bill Bradley Field like kind of the only ones that didn't. And so this guy was a liberal judge and a JFK appointee and seems like such a wonderful man.

His nickname was Whizzer, but he but he didn't like that name, so that's why I did not call him. But he is. Some people may know him as Whizzer White instead, who did um. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is not a team anymore. It was nineteen thirty eight, and so I guess that was a team, and then he played for the Detroit Lions in the nineteen one season, and then he went and fought in World War Two

in the PACIFICO crazy. I was like, oh, I feel like I because this isn't someone that like I knew about. But when I read all this stuff, I was just like, this is so impressive and so interesting to me. And I love World War Two. I love old white men that have funny nicknames, and I love Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

So it's really everything. This has everything I want. Well and for me too, It's like CT is such a very real thing, and I bet you it maybe even worse back then technology with helmets and to then become, you know, and put be in that position seems insane to me, but ultimately very impressive. Yeah. Well it's also so funny too when you think about college sports back then, the fact that he could play three sports is that there's that does not exist now never. Um So I

loved him, whizzer. I want to want to look more. He got a bronze star to two of them. But yeah, a little cutie and he is now pasture but but but yeah, rest in peace, but we love you. To talk. By the way, quite a roller coaster on my feelings about Wizard. I was totally totally into looking at what he's doing now and then that ending. Really yeah, it'd be too if I was like, oh, I guess it's not that impressive he died. I'm trying to pick the immortal. Yeah,

he's just so cool. He was like so he was four civil rights, he was pro women's choice, like, Wizzard, you're the dude, man, You're dude top back, all right, you know, I can't talk that, you know, I had an obvious one for two, but I kind of want to swap out. I had Shack originally, and I don't really need to read his credits. He and he just is greatest human. I feel like, is what do you think that you put him on this list because of

Shack Life? But that's what finally convinced it was Shack Life, which is mainly about Shack's E d M career, Like like every storyline is Shaq gonna be a good E d M d J Jenson. Do you watch Shack Life? Well, I was the executive producer of a failed pilot with Shaquille O'Neil and Ken John last year, So I would say I know Shack a little too well, so much so that I know that he loves hookah bars. Oh, I believe that. I believe he talks about hookah bars.

He talks about hooka bars maybe fifty of the day. Truly, honestly, if you ever find yourself by the way, Jack is a incredible human being. He is loving and caring and so great and he was so fun with me. I have a great story. He did drop the mic and all day he was kind of acting like a big baby and being being a little bit grumpy. And my wife showed up to set, and my wife had met him before and that like, you're famous in the nineties, you know everyone, Yeah, some sort of surfboard was handed

to you by sat at some point. And and Shaquil sees my wife for a second, and I don't know if he puts it together, but my wife goes, how Shack being And I go, you know what, he's kind of being a big baby. And she goes, Okay, I'll be here back. And so she walks over there and she's talking to him and she says, are you practicing? He goes you and she goes and she goes, uh, you know you're gonna go out there and you gotta

kill it, like you can't get embarrassed, I know. And then she says, you know, I did this show and I won, and he said you dude, and she goes she goes, yeah, I won my my rap battle after trophy and everything, and he's like, you want TV and she's like, yeah, I used to be two paying on boy,

and he's to go I knew it. He started like jumping around, and then he asked to take a picture with me and her, and he started to we started to lean down and it goes one two and he leans down to my ear and he goes to pango. Still got it, buddy. I mean it is wild too, because like I have been out with you guys in public, like you know, we would have those post sp dinners and when she walks through, everyone is like, oh my god, like it's a wave of recognition and then like pure

excitement and joy. Yeah, she has goodwill she which is great. I've always weirded out when someone like everything, like when I post something and everything is positive, I'm like, oh my god, how does that feel? And so like on top of that, like she looks so much the same, like from childhood, that it's like it's very difficult to

really hide. I mean, that's why the pandemic actually has been kind of cool at times for her because she gets to wear a mask a target, which is like kind of a fun thing to do since it's the place we go, and every time we go, she has to take photos and I'm like, man, everyone's starting uh, and so I'm the one yelling and everyone's like, okay, my family said, trying to survive here, and so yeah,

it's it's very funny. But Chack was very sweet and kind, and the next time I saw him, he remembers everything, so like the next time I saw him, he was like like he he seems to like remember every detail about stuff. So he's just a big, loving human being. But yes, I know all about his E d M career. I know that we talked about his kids and his kid's heart condition. We really, I mean, we spent probably five days in Atlanta together and he was great. Man,

I wish that show went then. That I mean, honestly, it made me, It made me want to keep him on there. I mean, very sweet, He's incredible, and the the citizens Arrest and the Restaurant Tour, And I mean, because you think about the NBA and T and T and that's my favorite show. I think it's the best comedy on TV. So they are TV stars to me now. But that's that's like one of seventy five. Then, like you know what people go like with a celebrity when they're big hang up is that they do everything. My

question is like, how does Shack do all this? Yeah, it's it's a lot. And also like he you know, let's not forget he has a cameo and Freddy got fingered, which is addressing here, but but beyond that, he did at one point while we were filming, look at me and he goes, he, uh, you think I should take the job they're offering me to be the face of

Papa John's. And I was like and I was like, I gotta be honest with you, No, I don't think and he was like what I was like, well, come on, man, Like it wasn't a good you know, it wasn't like he's like I, but like I like Papa John's. And then and then he was the face of Papa so

it was like he took it. So it's like, I don't think I don't think he just takes any thing, even though I think that's easy to say because like, you know, the bond in general and all those things he does, But like I think he actually kind of loves doing stuff, like he's not doing it for the money. And one other story about him and not to hang

on him too much. Great guy he is. We did a shoot at a retirement home where him and Ken John were supposed to help these old people like have a good day and take care of them and whatever this is. Yeah, it was ridiculous, and Shack during taping asked them where the game room was and they said they didn't have a game room and He's like, oh, that's so, you guys should have a game room, and then they and then I guess he became friends with

one of the guys there. And I don't want to spoil the story by telling you, but I guess he found out what his favorite game is. And then when the last day of taping he had to pool tables delivered, Oh my gosh, that's so sweet. So it's like he's rules on Shack life. He bought two kids who didn't even know la Tops and who did they think he was? Michael Jordian fans of the Apple Store, and Shack happened to be in there, and Shack just like hey, throwing

two computers or whatever. And these people working there were crying because they were like these boys coming here every day just to like look around. He's better than Santa Claus and he yes, you know, like he's great. Oh. I saw him at the Grove and I was like holding a cheesecake factory to go bag and I was a little stoned and I just was like I love you and he was like thank you. And it's like every I was in Nordstrom and I'm like, did you

guys see Shack going up to everyone? And they're like, yeah, like he is the Beatles all in one person kind of he is. He is. And we asked him he just bought a house in Cattle Basses and he did drop the mic and Daniel and I were asking about like furnishing. He's like, I'm going to Good Furniture after this, which is hilarious, Like just the middle of the day,

you go shopping and we go where do you go? Like, and he's like modern living or he's like he's a man of the people, like the giant step the stuff that's not rich. Yeah, Shack, that is still from Cribs. Yeah, Shack. That's great. Okay, let's take one. Let's break and we'll be right back, and we're back with our final picks. Jensen. What we do here is we usually have you go last as our our our big climax. Um. So, Megan, you want to kick us off here? Yeah? Gosh, this

doesn't even feel right in my soul. But I mean, who else has had mini series about that? You know this isn't o J But I don't know. I'm like, okay, So my honorable mention, I guess is Jim Brown. Um, just like a very incredible like seven time rushing leader or eight time leading rusher in his nine seasons, three time m v P and then went on to be in fifty films. One of them was he had the first interracial sex scene that a major studio movie had ever done, which I think this means like non porn

and it was with Raquel Welch. So that's very cool. Um. And then my other honorable mention is obviously Bill Bradley, who was like kind of the only other politician that I could feel like was semi aligned. So now I'm picking someone who ended up being a politician. But his life and just everything is so insane. And it's Arnold Schwarzenegger. So by the way, he's left, he's left leaning, yeah, and like it's California, so it's like, and I don't even take I don't even dislike his like politics. I

don't even really care about his politics that much. He just doesn't. He doesn't like inspire anything in me. But his life is so incredible. And to be this Mr Universe and seven time Mr Olympia, that is a feat in it of itself. Like if he had stayed is he from Austria somewhere, If he had stayed in that country and then just been that you are famous, you go everywhere, and you're famous for the rest of your life. But then to come to the United States and become

a giant movie star. I know what happened in between that though, right he was being offered movies as bodybuilder that he would turn down, and he used the money from competitions to buy apartment complexes. Yes, oh yes, I did know that, and like was wealthy off of that alone, and then would accept you know, like these movies that made at Yeah, he made great investments and then became a movie star, which okay, now you've had two very

very impressive careers. And then on top of that, in addition to kindergarten, cop and twins ran four and became governor of California, which is basically like being president of a country. I mean, it's the fifth largest economy in the world, and he was in charge of it. He married a Kennedy like everything he did, I mean, and then he had a baby with their housekeeper, but he didn't marry you. But you know what, you know what, can I give you a little credit there? He also

just like took ownership of it. He did, and he like he takes care of the kid. The kid loves him, Like I know that. That's like obviously a terrible story and pretty much ruined his family. But like, also he did the right thing. Yes, he's not bad. I don't think he's a bad guy. I think he's a very interesting guy who's led a fascinating life, who has been successful, has reached the top, the pinnacle of success in three of the hardest industries you can and so he's obviously

very driven. His quarantine videos have been pretty funny. His ancient island looks massive. Donald Trump. Donald Trump just like a pretty funny, cool guy that I'm happy I got to live at the same time he did. Yes, And I do want to make a rule that I have for myself, which is, if you have if you've ever had any sort of ownership in a planet, Hollywood, I pretty much understand have done terrible things with women, Like

I think you're gonna say, like you're awesome. No, no, no, Like I kind of understand that time of Stallone and Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis and guys who like if we really broke down their lives and be like, oh, this is terrible like that. Like I just don't, like, I don't want to hear any of those stories because it'll just ruin all my favorite actions. Yeah. But even as I'm like skimming stuff right now, he took care of a nephew who his brother like he he does do

the right thing. And I think overall was probably like a fine governor of California. You can absolutely DM man tell me if I'm wrong. But he had two massive careers after his playing career. Yeah, alright, well, my pick is I feel like he is on his way to becoming a Schwarzenegger is. But I pick Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Yeah, and his sort of thing is that. I mean, he played I don't know if he played any actual regular season NFL games, but he was, you know, a college player.

I think he played for Miami. He was on the University of Miami championship team. He has a rare and he came from everything, yeah, I think, and then he was injured. It wasn't like he was bad, he was he got injured. But and then to find wrestling or his dad was a wrestler. Correct, He came from wrestling and he also in it too. Yeah, and he is maybe our one of our biggest movie stars um right now.

And I don't know if there's any sign of that letting up, but he and everyone keeps talking about him becoming the president at some point in the future, which I hope it doesn't go that way, But would I be mad. I'd be curious to see what it looks like after Trumps. Yeah, it seems like he has good intentions at the very least, and everything he does, whether that's authentic or not, I think he does really kind things. Um, he's like a motivational Yes, I think he's very thoughtful.

I think he gives props in a really genuine way. I think his cheap males are hilarious. Like he just seems like an actual good father, good guy and a good actor, Like not good, I mean his movie. He's a good action star. Yeah, he's a good action star. And I'm not a wrestling fan, but he was one of those wrestlers that the mainstream new can you spell

what the Rock is? Cookae? He was. He was one of the most famous wrestlers when the thing that simpresses me is that he still goes back and whether whether or not that's to promote whatever he's doing, it's like he seems to really remember his roots. Yeah, and he knows that core that core fan base has been there for him since date one. So I feel like he's just good at seeing he's always just so smart. He always does the right thing. He's he's been very clean.

It's a little will Smith at times, like he's very very good, yes, being savvy. Yeah, yeah, so the Rock, The Rock is very good pick and and you know what, I think it's a testament to I think there's a lot of wrestlers and and athletes, probably wrestlers more so than athletes that are like, I'm gonna be a movie star now, and we see that it doesn't always work. It can't just be like, oh, you were famous and a big, strong guy, we'll put you in films and

that will translate. It doesn't. So he he did have to put in work and and did become his success in that in his in his own way. For every Dwayne Johnson, there is a Brian Bosworth. All right, Jensen, My number one pick is another guy who on Google could pretty much defeat everything I'm saying. So I don't know if I just picked bone heads on purpose, but this one to me, when you think about entrepreneurs that have come out of sports, this is the number one guy.

I know. He's become a bit of a meme in a way of being like a bumbling idiot over the years, at least the last three or four years. But Irvin Magic Johnson, Yeah, uh, you know, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He you know, kind of read find the Championship. In my opinion, I think you know, the idea of three pet and all you know, just showtime. You know, I'm not even a Lakers guy. I'm a

Clippers guy, which is very depressing. But he redefined the game and almost like honestly the only other Jordans s kind of way like he was a superstar. And then obviously, you know, with HIV and all these things that have come up, you were like, what's going to happen with this guy? And I think everyone back in the nineties at least just assumed it was like a death sentence. And he's been able to turn it around into like this huge enterprise that owns radio stations, movie theaters, magazines,

real estate, cable TV, sports teams. He owns a used own. I think it just just took his name off it,

but that t G I fridays near the airport. Um. He in a movie theater, redefined kind of black cinema for a long time, at least here in l a UM And I know that like he's kind of you know, he ran the Lakers into a weird place, and he obviously wasn't able to sign the guys they needed last year with Kauai and stuff, and and and his Twitter is just like it's it's like almost like a guy who's never played basketball, tweeting who doesn't even know the game. But you know, this guy did so much and he's

worth a billion dollars, you know, supposedly. And his wife is also a massively successful fashion designer. And her name is Cookie. And her name is Cookie. And if you're able to if you're able to succeed with the name Cookie, that's unbelievable. And his his children are famous. He's been a very supportive father to um in like you know, in some cases that some people wouldn't be supportive. And I think, like the HIV of it all, he really

changed how this country looked at that. Yeah. And also you talk about his son, it's like the reaction that he had was now is so normal, right, Like you're like, oh, you know, with the Dwayne Wade stuff, like everyone is sort of now accepting, But like I remember there being a bit of like a backlash of being like magic sons. His son is gay, Like it was like a thing, like people were like kind of bugged out about it, and he obviously never flinched. But like he again, he

has a bit of a Mr. Magoo vibe now. But but in truth, I think he also defined the entrepreneurial sports star. Yes, he was like, my career is going to end and and prematurely it did, and and what is going to be my second act? And how do I make it greater? Which in a lot of ways you see Kobe emulate, and which like Lebron is already setting up. And he changed how you could go from

superstar to continue to be superstar. Yeah, and there is like some weird alternate reality where his talk show is still going on in my mind, and like all of us, at one point was the head writer on that staff, that would have been amazing. Yeah, Megan definitely did a tight fie off. Megan did did stand up and then she got hired as a writer, Like I have the whole the whole timeline worked out in my brain. Sean

O'Connor did three months. I really love his family. I really like Cookie and him were so they're just so lovely and they're just so graceful too. And his son is also so famous. His son is on a reality show, so like it's very out there, and he just seems so happy as a father and a husband. And I think that's really beautiful too. I mean, that is successful in its own right. That's my pick the Entrepreneurial King. Awesome. Well, thank you so much Jensen for joining us and everyone.

Please if you're listening, listen to the No Sports Report also on I Heart Radio. Jensen, is there anything else that you wanted to plug? Uh? No, I mean every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, my wife and I really just for fun and to get our minds off this negativity and try to bring other people into some fun stuff. We've since the beginning of Quarantine, literally since like March fifteen, we do a game show out of our house on Instagram Live where we give away items we find uh

in different rooms of our house. We've given away a croc pod, we've given away, We've given away a sixty six dollar Red Bob and gift cards that we used once was I saw that. I was like, I would have paid three for that on v Bay. It was a great card again, a Boy Me World card again from casting Crew. This this Friday, we're giving away signed fun goes by Ben Savage and her the Sanin and

Corey One. So we we've been having a lot of fun with it and uh and it's really it's just Instagram Live every Monday, Wednesday Friday at seven pm, uh seven pm Pacific, we do this other thing called head Shot Roulette where you pick A or B and A is my terribly sad failed childhood head shot and then be as Daniells. And we had five people in a row pick mine. It was so sad. I felt so bad every time. Yeah, all right, and continue to rate and review the podcast. Thank you so much for listening.

Thanks Jensen. I'm so happy that your son is safe, and I hope you and Danielle s safe and healthy too. You guys as well. Thank you guys so much for having me. We'll see you next week. Thanks, thanks guys. All right, that was so great. Mm hmmm. 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.