The Edlow Podcast

Bob Ryan - Basketball, Baseball and the world of Sports Journalism

Bob Ryan is a Sports Historian, author and retired journalist with the Boston Globe. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter.” a basketball guru, and is well known for his coverage of the sport including his famous stories covering the Boston Celtics in the 70s and 80s. Famous sports journalist Bill Simmons proclaimed Mr. Ryan “the best basketball writer ever.”
In addition to his basketball coverage, he has a passion and love for baseball. He spent many years covering the Boston Red Sox and is an official baseball hall of fame voter.
He comes on the podcast to discuss his amazing career, his favorite stories from covering the Celtics and Red Sox, his current favorite basketball players, thoughts on hall of fame voting and the controversial steroid era, the tortured history of the Sacramento Kings and much more.

Shaun Weiss - Mighty Ducks, Heavyweights, Addiction, Recovery and Renewal

Shaun Weiss is an American actor, writer and comedian. Born and raised in Montvale, New Jersey he became a child actor when he started appearing in commercials.
He then graduated to TV when he played Elvis on Pee-Wee's Playhouse. His breakout roles came when he appeared as Greg Goldberg in Disney's Mighty Ducks franchise. He also played as Josh Bimbaum in Disney's Heavyweights with Ben Stiller.
His life took a dark turn as he grew older. He began experimenting with drugs and alcohol at an early age. Then, with the passing of his parents, his depression led him into a downward spiral that resulted in a Methamphetamine addiction.
He would lose all of his money and become homeless. He was arrested multiple times for drug possession and finally a residential burglary. Three years ago a judge gave him a chance to change his life or risk jail. At that point, the child star found rock bottom and became determined to turn his life around.
He is now three years sober, working as a mentor for others in recovery and performing stand up comedy shows. In 2022, he returned to Hollywood and appeared in the film Jesus Revolution, his first role in 14 years.
Shaun comes on the Edlow Podcast to talk about being a child star, the Mighty Ducks, Heavyweights, working with Emilio Estevez and Ben Stiller, addiction, recovery and his new lease on life.

Abdullah the Butcher - Pro Wrestling, Chambers of Horrors and forks

The MADMAN FROM THE SUDAN joins the Edlow Podcast! Abdullah the Butcher is a retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody wrestling matches of all time. He also has the scars on his head to prove it!
Abdullah (born Larry Shreve) was born in 1941 to a family of 10 in an impoverished household. He learned karate and judo in his youth and eventually earned a seventh degree blackbelt. However, due to a learning disability, he was unable to learn how to read or write and ended up leaving traditional school in the 2nd grade. He ended up in special trade schools until he broke into the wrestling business at the age of 17.
Abdullah quickly became one of the most feared rule breakers in wrestling when he broke a chair over Gino Brito's head and then beat him senseless with the leg. He was one of the biggest special attractions in wrestling, traveling the world to face the likes of Hulk Hogan and Giant Baba in Japan, Andre the Giant in Puerto Rico and Bruiser Brody all over the world.
One of Abdullah's most infamous fueds came when he and Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) challenged Sting in WCW. The feud would culminate in one of the most talked about (and ridiculous) spectacles of all time, the "Chamber of Horrors" cage match. The match ended when Abdullah was "electrocuted" in the middle of the ring.
The Madman comes on the podcast to discuss his career, his life after wrestling, navigating the travel without knowing how to read or write and much more! Thanks for following friends!
Much more to come! Subscribe!

Amber LeMay - The Larry King of Drag Queens

Bob Bolyard is an actor, comedian, musician and political activist currently living in Vermont. He is also…a drag queen...but not just any drag queen the "Larry King of Drag Queens!"
30 years ago, he and a friend created two characters called the LeMay sisters. It was a hit and Bob’s alter ego, Amber LeMay was born.
Since that time, Amber LeMay has appeared at innumerable clubs, parties and charitable events raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for important issues.
Bob/Amber is also the co-founder of the League of Drag Queen Voters. Most notably, Amber is the host of Amber Live, one of the internet’s top comedy/drag talk shows. With over 140+ shows tucked into her bra, Amber has interviewed over 200 personalities from around the world including celebrity actors, authors and politicians. These guests are allowed to tell their stories open and honestly and often humorously. You can find her at www.Amberlive.tv
Amber comes on the podcast to tell her story, talk about drag, how it fits into the LGBTQ alphabet (and the push back drag gets from within that group), politics, drag queens in schools, living as a gay man through the 80s AIDS epidemic and so much more.
What happens when a straight Mormon white guy with 4 kids interviews a drag queen? Subscribe and find out!

Matthew L Harris, Ph. D. - Ezra Taft Benson, Prophets, Politics and the Making of the Mormon Right

Matthew L. Harris is Professor of History and Director of Legal Studies at Colorado State University-Pueblo. He received a B.A. and M.A. in history from Brigham Young University and an M.Phil. and Ph.D., also in history, from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
Much of Harris’s teaching and scholarship explores the intersectionality of religion and law, race and religion, civil rights, and right-wing extremism, particularly among religious groups. He is considered by many to be the leading historian on politics within the church, including a shift within the rank and file membership toward ultra-conservatism during the Cold War era.
Dr. Harris comes on the podcast to discuss these topics, including his book Watchman on the Tower: Ezra Taft Benson and the Making of the Mormon Right
Subscribe friends…this next month will be wide ranging and very interesting.

The Stoner Bros - Wrestling, Marijuana and twin life

“The Stoner Brothers” Dustin and Derek Mehl have been a mainstay of independent wrestling for 20 years. Avid marijuana advocates, these identical twin brothers have used their wrestling/entertainment platform to bring recreational and medicinal marijuana use to the forefront. Their platform grew exponentially when they assisted in the creation of the Accidental Phenomenon, Hoodslam.
The twins come on the podcast to discuss their wrestling journey from training as teenagers under the infamous Joe Applebaumer, to becoming trainers themselves at “Stoner U”
They will also discuss marijuana advocacy, trying out for the WWE, the choice to stay independent, life as identical twins and of course Hoodslam.

Eric Christiansen - Filmmaking, Surviving Trauma and Fatherhood

Eric Christiansen is an award winning documentary filmmaker who's four films focus on the impact of trauma on individuals, families and communities. A trauma survivor himself, he understands trauma, the resilience of the human spirit and how important hope is to healing. 
His new film UnMASKing HOPE follows several different trauma survivors from stories we have hear on the news. Having lived through mass shootings, terror attacks, military combat and sexual assaults, there survivors dawn masks to hide their pain. In order to heal, they must confront what's happened to them and begin their journey from seclusion to inclusion. The hope is that we will be inspired to find hope again and be who we were born to be. 
Eric comes on the podcast to discuss his new film (https://www.pbs.org/show/unmasking-hope/), his other projects, his own trauma and how he survived it, his life as a husband and father, and his current journey as he transitions into a new stage of life as a grandfather. 
Thank you Eric for coming on and sharing your story. You are an inspiration!

Dr. Meleeka Clary - Psychology, Human Rights, acting and Positivity

Dr. Maleeka Clary is a clinical psychologist who is also a certified paralegal, and human rights activist. She currently hosts the Dr. Maleeka Clary television show. The show brings guests from around the world who discusses positive mindset and psychology as they navigate life.
She is also a multi-dimensional actress, producer and writer. She has starred and produced the full length feature independent film "Three Corners of Deception." The movie is based on her own true story and has reached great success on the film festival circuit.
Dr. Clary comes on the podcast to discuss her career in psychology, working with couples on strengthening their relationships, race relations, the difficulties in navigating cultural differences in mixed race marriages, her history with the entertainment industry and much more.