On Jan. 10, 2020, the day the very first episode of “Last Call” aired to the public, I spent my day celebrating in a way that not many people would expect.
I was with one of the most underrated singers of our generation, on multiple sets of her upcoming music video for a song that hadn’t been released yet. Whether it was at a subway station in East Philadelphia, a coffee shop with the largest Great Dane I’ve ever seen in my life, a train car connecting Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey, or even the roads of Hannah Krupa’s Jersey residence, it was an experience that, to me, was beyond unforgettable.
Much like Hannah Krupa herself.
A few weeks later, we met at Sabrina’s Cafe on 34th Street for a breakfast meeting, during which I consulted her and watched the initial edit of that music video, “In Between.” During the screening, I noticed that, on Hannah’s right, during a scene on the subway car, a man was sitting, with a hat that I immediately recognized as a hat for “Last Call.”
She gave, not just during the interview, but also during that music video, the greatest gift I could’ve ever received: an opportunity to witness greatness up close and personal. I know that “Last Call,” for both Hannah and I, is just a step on our paths, but it is a step I am glad to share with her.
So now, as I prepare for my own Last Call, I am glad to sit back and let the great Songbird sing.
For Kathy Krupa. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. You are deeply missed.
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Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle
Listen to this episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online:
The NHL seems to have a plan set in stone to finish out their season. If things work well, they will manage to finish the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even the NBA seems as if they’re finding ways to finish out the rest of the regular season. Weeks ago, it felt good to know that MLB was having ideas of what divisions their teams were going to be in. The season is currently in DEEP, DEEP question due to the dispute between the owners and the players. If things don’t improve within the next week and change, this season doesn’t look promising.
Ask yourselves: who would you side with between the players and the owners? Should the owners bring in more money to players or should the players settle with potentially two pay cuts? That is the initial pay cut they were offered in March, along with the potential pay cut due to no fans within the stands.
While the owners have a plan to return, which includes MLB players taking a huge pay cut, the players don’t seem to be on board with the idea of taking the hit. Nationals star pitcher Max Scherzer put out a lengthy statement on his Twitter account, which included him saying, “After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there’s no need to engage with MLB in any further compensation reductions.” Even if all states where the teams compete allow baseball to be played, for it seems that players’ salaries have to be figured out along with working around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Mark and Jair Explains Sports. Both Mark and Jair will come up with several different sports topics to discuss during their podcast. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @exsportsdrexel. Also follow their personal accounts @budd98, @jair.bd, @jairbrooksdavis.
<div style=”font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;”><a href=”https://soundcloud.com/exsportsdrexel” title=”Mark and Jair Explain Sports” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Mark and Jair Explain Sports</a> · <a href=”https://soundcloud.com/exsportsdrexel/108-what-would-you-gamble-w-guest-dave-barritt/s-uxuHLj5qFXv” title=”1.08: What Would You Gamble? w/ guest, Dave Barritt” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>1.08: What Would You Gamble? w/ guest, Dave Barritt</a></div>
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Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle
Listen to this episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online!
Due to the coronavirus, sports fans have been at home patiently waiting for professional sports to return. Luckily, in recent weeks, it has been rumored that the MLB and NBA are coming up with a contingency plan to return as soon as this summer. With that being said, it is universally understood that when sports do return, it will be without fans in attendance. Due to this, one wonders if this will increase the use of mobile gambling.
Those who aren’t die-hard fans of baseball might now start watching games consistently after placing a bet on a game. In the past, sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings were popular destinations for those trying to place bets. Fans not being able to attend games could mean a lot of revenue opportunities for mobile gambling companies.
Alex Bregman is a tremendously talented player. In fact, he’s probably within the top three third basemen in Major League Baseball currently. Although he’s a two-time All-Star and “World Series Champion,” he’s also part of a crew that put a black-eye on the sport. The Houston Astros were caught cheating in previous seasons. They didn’t just steal signs the old-fashioned way; they stole via putting a camera over the Center Field fence at Minute Maid Park. In 2017, they won a title, and in 2018 they had an ALCS appearance. In 2019, they lost in seven games to the Washington Nationals.
When the final decision was made on a penalty for the Astros scandal, a lot of people in baseball were beyond upset. Even NBA star Lebron James spoke up about how upsetting it was that Houston was cheating and stealing signs. It’s been recently said that James plans on releasing a documentary about Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. Since James seems to have this documentary as an option, his former Klutch Sports partner, Alex Bregman, chose to leave. Does someone like James really care? Maybe he’s better off without a cheater.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Mark and Jair Explain Sports. Both Mark and Jair will come up with several different sports topics to discuss during their podcast. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @exsportsdrexel. Also follow their personal accounts @budd98, @jair.bd and @jairbrooksdavis.
<div style=”font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;”><a href=”https://soundcloud.com/exsportsdrexel” title=”Mark and Jair Explain Sports” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>Mark and Jair Explain Sports</a> · <a href=”https://soundcloud.com/exsportsdrexel/106-sports-are-returning-and-were-going-to-disney-world/s-alN48mrTTu7″ title=”1.06: Sports are Returning? And we're Going to Disney World?” target=”_blank” style=”color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;”>1.06: Sports are Returning? And we're Going to Disney World?</a></div>
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Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle
Listen to this episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online!
For the past two months, the sports world has been on hold. Ever since Mark and I started the podcast, we’ve discussed the potential reports and the potential plans for the NBA and MLB to begin. Lately, it’s been good to see the new reports in regards to MLB coming out with a plan for players about a potential season. A lot of reports have come out on whether it will be an 80-game season or a 100-game season. Lots of speculation on whether or not it will be played in Texas, Florida or Arizona. Lots of speculation on what the league alignment will look like. I wonder what the verdict is going to be and I hope the players agree to what’s presented.
The leagues (NHL, MLB, NBA) are coming up with plans and decisions regarding whether to continue the season, and how that will happen will be answered in the coming weeks. While it’s not a guarantee that sports will be coming back, it’s hard not to be excited that sports return as soon as summer. With that being said, no fans will be at the games, and it remains to be seen when or if that will happen.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Mark and Jair explains sports. Both Mark and Jair will come up with several different sports topics to discuss during their podcast. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @exsportsdrexel. Also follow their personal accounts @budd98, @jair.bd, @jairbrooksdavis.
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Normally, the guest of “Last Call” would not be a member of Drexel’s faculty. Now, that’s not a knock towards our staff, as they are all very interesting, with their own stories to be told. However, I knew that, at least in this case, there would only be one exception: arguably the greatest influence on my life at Drexel and countless others.
Dr. Amy Edwards of the Drexel Autism Support Program (DASP) and is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the most underrated faculty at Drexel. Not only is she as smart as a whip and extremely opinionated (our numerous debates will always be considered highlights on my week), but she also has an amazing personality, is incredibly funny and will always make sure that when you are in her office, you are her number one priority.
We would talk about everything, and I mean everything. Due to my desire to go anywhere on campus without assistance and live like a normal person without being seen as someone with a “disability,” our one-on-one conversations would always relate to major decisions, personal matters, things of that nature. During the course of that, we really got to know each other and, as a result, we were able to click in a way that I normally don’t with other teachers.
It’s because of those meetings that she and I, over the past three years of which she was Director of DASP, have done numerous lectures together about autism advocacy and experiences on the spectrum. On those stages, she would always give such a strong command, being able to hold a room and a conversation with those who wanted to understand while also teaching me skills that have come in handy on programs such as “Last Call.”
Behind every person who wants to change the world is the ultimate supportive backbone who also wants to change things for the better. Amy Edwards, during my time at Drexel, was my backbone. So, it’s actually quite appropriate to have her as my final original guest, since it was her lessons and challenges to become even more open-minded and focused on the details that got me to this point.
So, to all my listeners, on the spectrum or not, let’s open our minds and ears. The time has come.
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Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle
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Ah, the 1990sKnicks. The Head Coach between 1991 and 1995 for the franchise was the legend, Pat Riley. He helped make them a rough-and-tough, no-nonsense team when he got there. At first, he had the X-Man, Xavier McDaniel and the brother of Dominique Wilkins, Gerald Wilkins. Along with them, the Knicks brought in Queens native Anthony Mason. Riley also inspired and shaped his assistant, Jeff Van Gundy, into coaching.
Unfortunately, the Knicks never made it past the Michael Jordan-led Bulls back in the 1990s. The only time they defeated their nemesis was in 1994, when Scottie Pippen was the face of Chicago. The Knicks came close in ‘92, losing to Jordan in seven games. They led 2-0 against Jordan and the Bulls in 1993, even after Jordan had a bit of a fiasco after being found gambling in Atlantic City before Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.
In the ’96-’97 season, a new generation surrounded Patrick Ewing and the Knicks. Pat Riley was gone, and Jeff Van Gundy led the way, with Tom Thibodeau being one of his assistants. Anthony Mason was traded for Larry Johnson and Allan Houston started at shooting guard, with John Starks coming off the bench. Charles Oakley was starting at power forward, while Chris Childs and Charlie Ward handled the point guard duties. Were they able to stop the Bulls? They didn’t even play them! Due to suspensions in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat, they blew a 3-1 lead and didn’t play the eventual champion, the Chicago Bulls!
What were the best Knicks teams of the 1990s? Should Jordan have stayed the night before the playoff game? Should James Dolan sell the team?
What’s going on with Major League Baseball? Are we going to start in June, potentially? July, maybe? What’s going on with what we heard previously about the potential three leagues with 10 teams each? Is it going to come to fruition? When do you think baseball will come back, and where do you think it will be played?
Baseball is a slow game that consists of many defining habits. Those habits include chewing gum, spitting, eating sunflower seeds, spitting in your hands before you bat, etc. The common theme in the antics of baseball typically involves spitting. Take into account that, throughout a game of baseball, players are constantly high-fiving and doing individual handshakes. In Major League Baseball, you’ll see a typical dugout covered in sunflower seeds and spit all over the floor. Given the current pandemic that’s going on, it’s hard to imagine players will be able to continue these in-game rituals and antics. The Korean Baseball league that recently started up has banned players from spitting during the game. Expect MLB to do the same.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Mark and Jair Explain Sports. Both Mark and Jair will come up with several different sports topics to discuss during their podcast. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @exsportsdrexel.
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Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle
Listen to this episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online!
Dennis Rodman is not your ordinary NBA player. Originally, Rodman did seem pretty average. He was a young and athletic forward who came off the bench for the Pistons, a team that won two championships during his tenure there. Rodman would bring intense defense and rebounding off the bench for the Pistons and did a great job containing Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
After a seven-year tenure with the Pistons, Rodman was traded (at his request) to the San Antonio Spurs. Once Rodman was on the Spurs, he turned into a player that was considered “extraordinary” or “odd.” While his playing style remained the same, his personality changed. Rodman gained celebrity status for changing his hair color and getting piercings around his face, to go along with his tattoos. His tenure on the Spurs lasted two years after clashes with the front office and suspensions for his on-court antics. The Chicago Bulls decided to trade for Rodman and bring him to help fill the void left by Horace Grant’s departure. The Bulls took a chance on Rodman, and despite the occasional hiccups (for example, the “Vegas trip”), the gamble resulted in the Bulls winning three titles. This past weekend’s episodes of “The Last Dance” gave an inside look on Rodman’s tenure with the Bulls and talked about how the team worked with him through his occasional “hiccups.”
The Bad Boy Pistons were the villains of the NBA between the mid-to-late 1980s and the earlier part of the 1990s. They were led by future NBA Hall of Famer and Chicago native Isiah Thomas. As Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were ascending in a league whose Mount Rushmore at the time was mainly Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the Pistons were in heavy contention. They beat the Bulls in the playoffs between 1988 and 1990. Thomas led the Pistons in implementing the “Jordan Rules,” a defense that forced Michael Jordan into physical torment and forced them to succumb to losses for many years.
Thomas and the Pistons didn’t just have their enemies on the Chicago Bulls, but also in Boston. In 1987, Thomas reiterated a comment from Dennis Rodman on Larry Bird, saying that if Bird were African American, “he’d be just another good guy.” The Pistons and Celtics had their share of battles in the playoffs. Even the Lakers and the Pistons had clashes in the 1988 and 1989 NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning the first go-around and the Pistons winning the second. That’s where the relationship between Magic and Isiah started to deteriorate. In a book that featured Johnson and Bird, Johnson stated that he felt Thomas spread rumors about his sexuality.
When the Dream Team was being selected between 1991 and 1992, Jordan, Johnson and Bird were the team’s Big Three. Johnson and Bird were getting ready for retirement, and getting ready to pass on the torch of the NBA to Jordan. The team’s Head Coach was Piston coach Chuck Daly, whom many describe as flashy and classy with his style.
Many talk negatively about Jordan not being willing to take Thomas on the team. Personally, I disagree with them. It wasn’t JUST Jordan; there was Scottie Pippen who also suffered at the hands of the Pistons. I’m sure that deep down, Bird didn’t want him along with Magic. I’m sure several others on that team didn’t want Thomas, and I’m sure Chuck Daly understood from a certain perspective.
I think Jordan may have had a point to feel the way he felt about Thomas. Should he still hold resentment today? I don’t know. Would you hold a grudge? Would you have wanted Thomas on the team? Ask yourself those questions.
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Photograph courtesy of Armon Owlia for The Triangle
Listen to this episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online!
It was March 15, 2012, at about 2 o’clock in Philadelphia. Mark had just arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia. While making his way up the elevator, he noticed a player from the Miami Heat in the lobby. Taking this into account, Mark decided to wait in the lobby in case other members of the Heat made an appearance. A security officer for the Heat approached Mark and told him to feel free to get an autograph or picture with any of the players. 12 years old at the time, Mark was nervous and didn’t know what to do when all of a sudden, out of the elevator came Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. Bosh and Wade didn’t seem bothered and made their way to the team bus. On the other hand, James stopped to acknowledge Mark and said “Hey, what’s up little man?” and then walked away. Can’t forget a moment like that. It just goes to show the type of first-class person that LeBron is off the court.
Personally, I think Michael Jordan is the Greatest of All Time. What can I say? I’m Jair Brooks-Davis, I never played basketball professionally, let alone collegiately on an NCAA Division III scale. My view on Michael is that he changed the game in a way that people, still to this day, want to mimic him the most. Financially, he brought the NBA more money back in the ‘90s.
People have their opinions on the greatest. Some say they pick Jordan based on his fierceness and his ability to make his teammates mentally stronger and ready to face competition. His will, to me, can’t be questioned. We’ve all heard plenty of stories about how he treated his teammates, this, that and the other. But at the end of the day, I look at him as the Greatest of All Time.
To hear more about LeBron James and Michael Jordan make sure to tune in to this week’s episode!
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It’s amazing the difference only a few months make.
In November, Roy Aguilar and I sat across a table in a Hagerty study room to tape the first episode of what would become “Last Call.” The lead-up to the conversation, including the scheduling and sudden revelation that he was preparing to move to Beijing, were enough to make sure that I was not only at the top of my game, but also that I could ask Roy all the questions that I had always wanted to ask.
It was an interesting 90-minute conversation, one that I am extremely appreciative of, as this was the last time that Roy and I were able to speak face-to-face.
And then came the coronavirus.
When I first heard about the virus, even though I knew the distance between Wuhan and Beijing was great, I immediately thought of Roy. I didn’t think that not only China, but also the United States would be basically shut down for months trying to contain the virus, but I knew that his life would be radically changed and that he was potentially in danger.
However, I needn’t have worried, because he unsurprisingly turned lemons into lemonade and not only documented the experience first-hand, but also got some good press out of it, discussing his experiences in China with his characteristic charm and humor.
It was also a shame that, in the original episode, we only aired an abridged version of the conversation, instead of playing the entire conversation. Believe me, it was highly entertaining but also sufficiently informative to the character of the man.
So, when it came time to plan for Season 2, and knowing that only two episodes would be originals, I was hoping for this particular episode to be voted on as a re-run. Why? Because I knew that, if we did re-run it, it wouldn’t be in its abridged form. I was going to air it in its entirety. Everything.
From Bill Clinton impressions, to discussing a tattoo about a mutual favorite film of ours, to even discussing his work in jiu–jitsu, this episode truly shows more of the magic that began “Last Call” in earnest. Ganbei, Roy. Ganbei.
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