Almost a decade and a half has passed since 1999- a time where the turn of the century terrified us, our iconic twin towers were still proudly casting shadows over downtown Manhattan, and a collection of young athletic women were blazing a trail as role models during an unforgettable run toward the World Cup. More than 40 million television viewers and 90,000 fans in person had their eyes set upon the Rose Bowl on July 10th, 1999 as the United States women’s soccer team had turned heads in an unparalleled run to the finals against the mighty team from China. Featuring never before seen footage, ESPN culled hours of behind the scenes video shot inside the team’s locker room and their travels around the country and wound up with “The ‘99ers,” an hour long piece documenting the team’s rise to greatness and a retrospective featuring eight of the principals involved.

Airing Tuesday, August 20th, the film is narrated by team captain Julie Foudy, who eagerly and excitedly parades around the team with a handheld camera, capturing the enthusiasm and the genuine anticipation of the young women set to make history. The latest in ESPN’s “Nine for IX” series, the program brings much of the team back to mid-field at the Rose Bowl, this time in 2013, and allows them to reflect upon their iconic championship run from 1999. We watch as the United States overcomes a 2-1 deficit at halftime to defeat Germany, makes quick work of a strong Brazil team 2-0, and culminates in a 0-0 tie with China in the Final, resulting in the familiar imagery of rivaling penalty kicks. Even though we know the outcome, the documentary manages to be as captivating as ever, watching each United States kick sail into the goal time after time.

Of course, the lasting visual of defender/midfielder Brandi Chastain ripping off her jersey in the epitome of victory, on her knees solely in her sports bra plays a huge role in the story’s conclusion. But the lasting effects of the piece prove that the 1999 team was more than just Chastain’s spontaneity, or the emergence of Mia Hamm. It was about the collective, about the team- about a group of girls getting to both live out their dreams, mesmerize an entire country around their sport, and inspire female athletes that would look to them and follow suit.

LocalBozo.com was fortunate to grab a few minutes with “The ‘99ers” producer and narrator Julie Foudy and teammate Brandi Chastain. Listen in as we reflect upon the 1999 World Cup team, whether the group of girls keeps in touch, the fateful jersey removal during the team’s victorious Cup win, and so much more. “The ‘99ers” airs on ESPN on Tuesday, August 20th as part of the ‘Nine for IX” series at 8pm ET.

- Jane Van Arsdale

If you’ve tuned into any WWE programming over the past fourteen months, you’ve likely been awestricken by the larger than life character affectionately referred to as ‘The Funkasaurus.’ While his size is massive, Brodus Clay is known more for his ear to ear grinning, his penchant for dancing with children after a victorious bout, and for his equally oversized tag team partner ‘Sweet T,’ than he is for mauling his victims on a menacingly violent streak. But fans can see the character in a brand new light as Friday May 10th marks the latest in a slew of recent releases from WWE Studios.

“No One Lives” is an R rated semi-horror film that stars Luke Evans (“Clash of the Titans,” “Robin Hood”) in a plot-twisting, thrill ride of a suspense movie where nobody is who they seem. And cast in a supporting role as ‘the muscle’ behind a gang of rogue kidnappers, is Clay’s ‘Ethan,’ which is a character that seems to be more akin to Clay’s dynamically unique appearance. The film follows the story of a seemingly routine robbery and kidnapping of a couple headed out on a trip together. But when we find out that the kidnapped couple is in actuality ensconced in a hostage situation of their own, viewers are forced to seemingly choose between the lesser of two evils. Despite the circumstances however, we are somehow able to find characters to root for in the battle of bad guy versus bad guy, not all that dissimilar to the world that Clay is most used to.

Since his emergence in January of 2012, Brodus Clay has become a true fan favorite, and one whose catchy theme song and crazy dance moves wrestling fans tend to emulate every single night in arenas across the country. LocalBozo.com was fortunate enough to sit down with WWE Superstar Brodus Clay, just days before his acting debut is set for limited release. Listen in as we discuss how he was hand selected for the role of ‘Ethan’ in “No One Lives,” his reflections on the filming and the final cut of the movie, his trepidation in taking a role in a horror film despite his kid-friendly wrestling character, his transformation from menacing bad guy to the smiling, dancing ‘Funkasaurus,’ his feelings on being bumped from the Wrestlemania 29 lineup because of time constraints and how he and his teammates were informed, his Twitter path to redemption, and so much more.

- Jane Van Arsdale

The audio has been transcribed for your reading pleasure below.

LocalBozo.com: Brodus, thanks so much for some time today man.

Brodus Clay: I appreciate you man, thanks for having me.

LocalBozo.com: Brodus let’s talk first about No One Lives, it’s your first real acting gig- talk about the filming of the movie and how you got tapped for the role of ‘Ethan.’

BC: We’ll start with the easy part- how I got casted for it. Basically we just came off of Extreme Rules and I had gotten busted in the head with a ladder. So I had about thirteen staples in the top of my head and I was stretchered out. And a gentleman by the name of John Laurinaitis, who was in charge of talent at the time, he came down and said ‘hey, there’s a movie project’ and I was like ‘Yes.’ And he was like ‘do you want me to finish?’ I’m like ‘No, I’m in. I’ll do it.’ He’s like ‘okay, well you’ll fly out next week for casting’ or whatever and I said ‘alright cool so I get a chance to audition for a movie. Great opportunity. I didn’t know they were actually gonna dip me for the body suit in the movie- it was kind of an awesome surprise. So I realized once I was there and I was getting dipped, and they were spending all this money making another me, that I had the part, so I was excited about it. So that was probably the coolest part about it. And then just filming and being a part of a horror movie is just kind of cool. You know, you get a death scene- it’s a very simple yet complicated movie. I just love the way it’s done in terms of like- it’s done with film. It’s shot in film, it’s not digital. The special effects are actually special effects, not computer generated. So it’s like you get more of a personal feel and how clever the behind the scenes guys were to put everything together. My character Ethan was basically the muscle and the enforcer behind his older brother ‘Hoag’ who runs this gang in the back woods of – I think we were in Louisiana. And like extortion, robbery- not a very good group. And they robbed and kidnapped the wrong guy, which is Luke Evans, who ends up being a psychopath serial killer who had his own agenda going on and had his own hostage going on. It’s got a lot of twists and turns and it’s kind of an interesting story- it’s kind of like bad guy meets worser bad guy- that old classic tale. Just a very interesting movie. A lot of blood.

LocalBozo.com: Now you touched on this a little bit. The film is rated R and it’s about a gang of killers that kidnap a couple on the verge of a trip across the country. Now the character you play is sort of at odds with the kid-friendly role you portray on WWE TV. You sort of mentioned that you grabbed it just because it was available but was there any trepidation on your part to accept this role?

BC: At the time, when I took the role, I was Alberto Del Rio’s bodyguard and the character I was playing was a villain. So this was filmed almost two years ago so the ‘Funkasaurus’ hadn’t been born yet. But I do believe that in life that you can’t do everything with your parents and I think the same thing with role models and people you look up to or entertain. This is definitely an after ten o’clock movie, where most kids should be in bed. You know, it is rated R and they would d need their parents to watch something like that. But I would say a horror movie is probably not a good thing for a child to watch. But it’s okay I think to be able to be different things and play different things because this isn’t the ‘Funkasaurus’ chopping people up and doing things like that. This is a character that I’m playing called Ethan so it’s different and I think that if you have open dialogue where it’s okay to say ‘hey kids, I appreciate the support. But this is a scary movie and it’s not something that I would have you watch.’ And I think it’s okay to say that. I think if you ignore it, then there’s a problem but I think it’s okay to say that. There’s some things that you can’t do with mom and dad and there’s some things you can’t do with the ‘Funkasaurus,’ and that’s watch Ethan in a scary movie unless, you know, your parents are okay with that.

LocalBozo.com: Brodus, how pleased were you with the final cut of the film and your first foray into acting overall?

BC: My first viewing- I was on the red carpet at the TFF, the Toronto Film Festival- I was nervous. That’s not even a word- I had butterflies in my chest the size of Mothra. I was so concerned with- I’m like ‘Am I gonna sound corny? Am I gonna look stupid?’ You don’t know. I thought ‘Was all the karma gonna come back to me for every movie I’ve ever bad mouthed in the theater?’ Because I was sitting there and I was worried about the reaction of the people when I came on, you know, I was so nervous- my heart was racing. My opening scene went in and I was like ‘Okay, so far so good.’ And then eventually when my death happened- it was kind of like a crazy death and stuff- the reaction of the crowd was cool. So overall I was pleased with it- you always notice little things about yourself that you should have done better or whatever, but overall I thought I did a good job. But ultimately it’s up to what the people see and the few people that have seen it at this point have said good things and then everybody gets to see it May 10th, when it’s opening up in select theaters all over the country and hopefully I’ll hear good things back. So I did my best and hopefully my best was good enough.

LocalBozo.com: Switching gears real quick let’s talk WWE for a minute if we can, initially you were coming into the company as this menacing character and after a few short weeks, we get this smiling, dancing ‘Funkasaurus’- talk about the switch to this fan-friendly character as you made your debut more than a year ago.

BC: What had happened was, backstage I joke a lot. I’m always teasing and clowning around and laughing and in the locker room I tend to always have something to say. We’re always laughing and stuff and people would see that. And while we were working on the character, it was brought to my attention like ‘Why aren’t you doing that out there?’ And I was like ‘Well obviously, you wouldn’t let me.’ And looking at the lay of the land- Mark Henry was getting ready to come back and he was gonna be a monster. Kane was making his comeback and he was gonna be a monster. Big Show has a lot of monster tendencies. So I wanted to be different. I wanted to take a risk. I wanted to try something they hadn’t seen since Junkyard Dog, just bringing the kids back and dancing in the ring and just trying to do something a little bit different. Of course, the character evolves- the idea was to pull it back at some point, be more serious in the ring at times. But just bring the entertainment value back, bring the character back. So it was a risk and it could have been horrible but I think fans wanted something like that and families wanted something like that in terms of a character that’s fun and entertaining and makes everybody want to dance and get up. That’s part of what wrestling is all about, you know? The pageantry, the cool entrances, and pyro, and people being a part of it and wanting to be a part of it and so I was very excited to give them the opportunity. And looking at it and how things have turned out, I think it was a great decision.

LocalBozo.com: So Wrestlemania 29 just came and went- it was right in our area the New Jersey/New York City area and despite being booked on the show, your match got scrapped at the last minute and moved to Monday Night Raw the following night. How were you told that you guys were being pulled from the show and although I’m sure you were disappointed- are you making it a primary focus for you to make sure you’re on the card next year?

BC: Actually the way we were told was with the utmost class- as best you could in that situation. We were told in Gorilla [Ed. Note- called the ‘Gorilla Position’ after Gorilla Monsoon, typically situated backstage close to the entrance to the ring, where much of the backstage goings-on/production decisions are made] five minutes before we were supposed to go out. And for me personally, it was devastating. You know, we worked so hard- it was going to be a big night. But I took a different route in terms of expressing- I wanted to be positive. I thought about my fans and the kids and stuff. I can teach from this, we can learn from this. This is a great lesson in terms of life and it wasn’t an easy decision but I had put a Tweet out about like, ‘In life, sometimes you gotta get your heart broke to know what you love.’ And it got a huge response from the fans and then I said- I put another one out saying ‘365 to redemption. We will get back. We will get our opportunity. We will work harder. We’ll put ourselves in a position where they can’t possibly cut us, due to time constraints.’ And it’s just kind of grown. And now I’m actually in day- I chronologize each day until Wrestlemania. We’re at day 24 today. I start out with positive words about how we’re gonna approach the day and focus on our goals. And it’s gotten a really big response from the fans. They’re taking a part of it. I’m getting personal testimonies from people- a lot of people talking about losing weight focusing on school, and getting their job right, and being a better person. I Re-tweet each one and I save it and I take pictures of it and when I’m all done, we’re gonna print it all off and I’m gonna put it in a coffee table book and we’re gonna maybe find a charity and raise money for a charity and get it out there. No mistake about it, I was crushed but I felt when you’re in a position where people look at you for a reaction and stuff, to feel sorry for yourself or to place blame or to cry unfair, you can take something- it happens to us all the time. People get let down all the time. They’ve done everything right. It just doesn’t work out. You have to take it and use and that’s what I’m doing and some of the stories that are being shared with me, I take it away and it’s just something I’m very proud of. It’s basically every day, talking about what you’re going to do to reach your goals. Some people put really lofty goals out there. Some people put some simple ones. One of them was like ‘My goal of redemption is to get a Tweet from Brodus Clay.’ I’m like ‘You did it. Congratulations. Maybe raise the bar a little higher.’ Some of the other ones was dealing with weight loss and stuff. When I first came back to WWE I was about 489 pounds. Now I’m down to 362 and working and training hard, watching what I eat, and staying in the weight room. You know, it’s been a lot of ups and downs and stuff but focusing on that and being on the positive and giving people something to talk about makes you relatable. So it’s really taken on, and it’s not scripted- it’s not something me and the writers came about. I’m doing this regardless of whatever the outcome is. Some people are like ‘it’s too early’ but I don’t think it’s ever early to build on something. And some of the people I’m getting to know through this has really been an eye opening experience for me. So definitely taking a negative and turning it into a positive.

LocalBozo.com: You know Brodus, you talk about turning a negative into a positive- and although you didn’t get to work at Wrestlemania 29, you did get to work the following night at Monday Night Raw from the Izod Center. It was a legendary episode of Monday Night Raw, basically because of the crowd in attendance- just a wild, raucous party. Talk about what that was like for you as a small consolation to be able to work the following night on Raw.

BC: You know, that crowd is a monster crowd. And two things happened that night. When we went out there- my character dances so whatever they chanted, I danced to it. And it turned the tide. By the time that was over, they were with us at the end, dancing with us and clapping. And I thought ‘These guys are gonna eat us for lunch.’ It was like one of those things where- there were moments where they were being their evil selves but then at the end of the day, they just want to be entertained and they just want to feel a part of it. The best thing about my character is there’s nothing wrong with turning to somebody in the crowd going ‘What’s up?’ you know, or like ‘Hey man, for real? That’s what’s going on?’ And talking to the crowd and making them feel a part of it, because the big thing with my partner ‘Sweet T’- is we’ve got a few names- and they like to chant his old names or whatever, and when I yelled out ‘It’s Sweet T, come on help me out.’ So it was a tough crowd but it was a crowd that just wanted to play and I think if you play with crowds like that, you can have a lot of fun with them. If you take it personal- like waves and everything else, it’s great. That’s part of it, that’s part of the WWE, that’s part of the fans being involved- it’s just as important as the kids dancing in the ring with me at the end. Fans have a voice and I think we should encourage it. I hope we get more crowds like that, I think it’s great.

LocalBozo.com: Brodus, you’ve been so gracious with your time today. We’re really excited for you, for the film “No One Lives.” Is there anything else you’d like to leave for the readers of LocalBozo.com?

BC: Oh man, just thank you so much for checking it out. You can always reach me at @Brodusclay on Twitter. And you hit me up, I’ll follow you back and you know, maybe be part of 365 to Redemption- that’d be cool. Any way I can help out.

LocalBozo.com: WWE Universe, Brodus Clay makes his big screen debut in the suspense film “No One Lives” out on May 10th. You can also catch Brodus and all the WWE Superstars on pay per view for Extreme Rules on Sunday May 19th and locally here in Long Island at the Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday June 4th for a Smackdown! Taping and tickets are available now. We’ve been speaking with WWE Superstar, the ‘Funkasaurus’ himself Brodus Clay- all the best of luck on “No One Lives” and in 2013.

BC: Thank you very much man. Appreciate you.

 

Mike Greenberg is no stranger to putting his thoughts to paper. Despite a wildly successful career with ESPN as a Sportscenter anchor and co-host of the “Mike and Mike in the Morning” radio show, Greeny as he’s affectionately known cut his chops as a Chicago sports journalist during the early portion of his budding career. With his semi-autobiographical ode to sports fans already penned in 2007′s “My Wife Thinks I’m An Idiot,” Greenberg has, for the first time in his career, turned to fiction with the release of the sometimes funny but mostly heartfelt, “All You Could Ask For.” (Harper Collins)

The story follows the lives of three women, each of differing ages and backgrounds, who despite being relative unknowns to each other, are about to be brought together in a way that none of them would have ever imagined. A sportswriter/talk show host, writing a fictional story about three women? It sounds far-fetched certainly, but Greenberg’s writing style reads authentically even though it hardly sounds like the talking head we are so used to hearing. Although sports fans might have some apprehension about being tasked with getting through such a premise, the story is an easy read- each character picks up seemingly where the other left off to keep the story moving fluidly- and with each page turn you begin to piece together where the author’s focus is headed.

While the early portion of the story is relatively light-hearted, the book’s central focus was inspired by Greenberg’s own family friend Heidi Armitage, who unfairly and rapidly lost her life shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Her story was of such inspiration to Greenberg that all proceeds that he is slated to earn from “All You Could Ask For” are being redirected to The V Fund, a non-profit organization that focuses on cancer research, started in memory of former NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano, one of the most influential figures in sports history. At the very least, each copy purchased of “All You Could Ask For” is going to a good cause, should for some reason you not enjoy the book. But you almost certainly will. The fleshed out characters, the dynamic between them, and Greenberg’s ability to hone into the female psyche make the book a truly fascinating read cover to cover for men and women alike.

With the book tour now underway, LocalBozo.com was fortunate enough to sit down with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg for an exclusive interview. Listen in as we discuss how “All You Could Ask For” came to fruition, it’s potential to be developed into a screenplay, channeling the female voice so accurately, and whether he had any trepidation about including anything too risque in his story. And don’t think we don’t touch on the New York sports scene either as we put Greeny on the spot about the Knicks, the Jets, and what to do about the Darrelle Revis contract stalemate. As usual, Greeny was interesting, funny, insightful, and spot on- and we’d expect nothing less from sports’ most exciting morning man, and potentially its most accomplished author.

“All You Could Ask For,” the first fiction work from ESPN’s Mike Greenberg is released today, April 2nd by Harper Collins Publishing.

- Jane Van Arsdale

Any wrestling fan will tell you that one of the highlights of the WWE’s flagship program Monday Night Raw in 2012 featured the return of many of the iconic and legendary performers from decades past, each stepping into the ring week after week this summer to compete for one night only. With each passing week surprises in the form of Vader, Rikishi, Sid, Doink the Clown, even Cyndi Lauper and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, each made their way back into the spotlight in front of a frenzied live audience. And each week the returning legends would be successful against a relative up and comer named Heath Slater.

Dubbed “The One Man Band,” the ginger haired, fair skinned performer broke through the proverbial glass ceiling with a faction called The Nexus, a group of young, hungry wrestling rookies, new to the glitz and glamour of the WWE, but determined to make an impact. And since June of 2010, Slater has been up with the company’s main roster, breaking away from Nexus, joining and leaving a subsequent group called The Corre, until finally finding his own voice as the OMB, antagonizing hostile crowds with his penchant for horrid singing and arrogant in ring antics. More recently, Slater has teamed with the likes of Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal, now dubbing themselves “The 3MB” or Three Man Band, which with Slater as the leader, will only open up more avenues for his own personal success.

With the holidays approaching, December in New York City is about as good a time as any to be a fan of Slater’s or the WWE for that matter, as the company has several big local shows coming up. First off, this Monday night, the WWE returns to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for a live taping of Monday Night Raw. Sunday, December 16th, the WWE makes their debut at the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn for their annual TLC (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) event, live on pay-per-view at 8pm and Thursday, December 27th, the WWE returns to Madison Square Garden for the now annual Raw brand Holiday show. Tickets for each of these events are available now. And if you can’t make it out to any of the shows, make sure to turn into NBC on Wednesday night, December 19th for the WWE’s ‘Tribute to the Troops’ special where the company pays homage to our soldiers in a primetime televised special.

LocalBozo.com was fortunate to grab a few minutes with ‘The One Man Band’ himself, Heath Slater. Listen in to our exclusive interview as we discuss his biggest influences backstage, the start of the ‘One Man Band’ persona, his thoughts on Ryback, working in New York City, and so much more.

- Jane Van Arsdale

The audio has been transcribed for your reading pleasure below.

LocalBozo.com:  Heath, thanks so much for giving us some time today man.

Heath Slater:  Oh, no problem man.  Anytime.  What’s up?

LocalBozo.com:  Heath, we’re nearing the end of 2012 which has really been sort of a breakout year for you.  Let’s talk first about the One Man Band persona and where that derived from.

HS:  Where’d it come from? It came from an interview.  It came from them asking me ‘what in the world do my friends think about me?’ And I told them I said you know ‘I’m a walking concert- I’m like the ‘one man band.’  And pretty much, they ran with that- from me telling them that my friends think that I’m a walking concert, something like a one man band.  So as soon as I opened my mouth and those words came out I became Heath Slater, the One Man Rock Band.

LocalBozo.com: You’ve been a part of two of the most prominent factions in wrestling in recent years, first with Nexus and then with The Corre, but how fulfilling is it for you to have finally gotten out there and be successful on your own?

HS:  It was great man, you know.  Me going out there and performing by myself.  I’d rather have it that way sometimes anyway because you don’t have to rely on anyone but yourself.  But it was actually great and it led me into a role to wrestle against some guys like the legends that I did leading up to Raw 1000 and to me that was basically a dream come true.  I mean guys that I watched growing up and now I’m watching them walk down to the ring to get in the ring with me to perform.  It was actually a wonderful feeling.

LocalBozo.com: I’m glad you brought that up Heath.  This past summer, the highlight of Monday Night Raw week after week was when you stood toe to toe with so many different WWE legends from the past.  It was really exciting for long time fans to see who would show up the following week.  Can you reflect upon that experience for you- what it was like, what you learned from it, and who you were most excited to have mixed it up with?

HS:  Oh man, I was excited to get in there with every one of them if you want me to be honest.  I mean it was just like opening up a present each week wondering who I’m gonna get in the ring with.  First it was Vader, and then you know from Vader it went on to Cyndi Lauper and Roddy Piper doing an in ring interview.  And then it went from Sid and Rikishi and Doink and DDP- I mean it was just one of those things where it kept getting better and better, one of those feelings where I felt like a kid again for a moment until I was laying on my back looking at the lights, almost knocked out. But other than that, it was one of those things where I can honestly say I’m probably the only WWE Superstar now that has ever been in the ring with guys like that so it’s a good little chip on my shoulder I guess you could say.

LocalBozo.com:  Yeah I think it speaks volumes about how the company views you as well.

HS:  Yeah I mean, it was great just being used, and going up against them and everything.  Like you were saying like with Nexus- that was a great run.  I mean we had fun, terrorizing everyone, tearing up rings, wrecking limos, beating the crap out of literally everyone and anyone that got in our way.  And then going to Corre with me and Justin (Gabriel) as the Tag Champions and Wade (Barrett) as the [Intercontinental] Champion and ruling Smackdown! for a little bit.  And when that broke up, that’s what you were talking about, going with the One Man Band gimmick and everything.  It had a good run and everything, but now it became like one of those things where my singles career wasn’t working out too much at the moment.  So now I got two other band members with Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal and everything so 3MB is actually kicking off and it’s getting noticed and it’s actually a great time.

LocalBozo.com:  You’ve been one of the rising stars in the company over the past year.  At this point in your young career, who’s been the biggest influence on you backstage, just as far as bringing you along to this point and helping you reach your current level of success?

HS:  Backstage?  Honestly, there’s been numerous people.  Big Show’s helped me out a lot- showing me the ins and outs.  [John] Cena’s been- every time you messed up a little bit, he would always correct you and help you out.  Chris Jericho would always help me out a lot.  He was a very good influence on me and everything.  Christian, Edge- both of them would always see something- ‘try it this way, try it that way.’  They would always lead me in the right direction.  The agents- Double A Arn Arnderson, he’s one of the best guys for information for helping you put together matches and everything, he’s awesome.  Dean Malenko, Fit Finlay- they’re great.  Road Dogg with the entertainment side- it’s like they got a good crew up there.  They got guys up there with older guys helping the younger guys out and they got agents basically telling you ‘what’s right, what’s wrong, try this, try that, this is what they like, don’t do that.’  It’s like there’s a good group of guys up there and all it is is that they’re trying to help everyone.

LocalBozo.com:  On a more local note, talk about what it’s been like for you to work here in New York City and to have wrestled at Madison Square Garden where the company will once again be running their now annual Raw brand holiday show on Thursday, December 27^th.

HS:  Man, the Garden is amazing.  That was like the very first time Wrestlemania’s ever been held was at the Garden.  And usually almost every ten years we go back.  Every time you just see your name on the card for The Garden, you’re just like ‘oh man, this is gonna be a great show’ because the crowd is amazing.  They’re always loud, they’re always into it.  Just the arena and the history that it has behind it- just knowing who’s all been in there and performed before you and everything.  I’ve been there three times already and the great thing about it is one time I got to even wrestle Bret Hart.  So that was amazing.  And Bret Hart had, you know, five star matches in that building and then me being in the ring with him was just like ‘wow, this is really happening to me.  This is awesome.’  But every time you see your name on one of the Garden shows it’s one of those things where ‘Heck yeah. I’m going back to the Garden.  This is amazing.  This is awesome.’  And then, I remember one time- I flew into Washington.  I guess it was about two years ago there was a huge blizzard coming that way.  So me and Dr. [Christopher] Amann, he’s the Raw doctor.  We had to get a car because no flights were going out from Washington to New York.  So we had to get a car and drive from Washington to New York in a blizzard to where we’re driving and the windshield is freezing up to where- you know how whenever the windshield wiper gets ice on it, you’d try to put your hand out and flip the windshield wiper to break the ice?  Dr. Amann tried that and next thing you know, he pulls the windshield wiper off and we don’t have a windshield wiper on the driver’s side driving in a blizzard where we’re going literally maybe 35 miles per hour all the way to New York City.  And by the time I made it to the Garden, it was literally snow up to my knees and me trying to pull my bags into the Garden and then when I finally got in, I even missed my match.  So basically all that traveling in the biggest snowstorm I think I’ve ever been in in my life through the conditions that we were in with no windshield wiper or anything.  It was just one of those stories about New York that I’ll have to tell to everyone and it’s actually pretty funny because there’s more to it but I don’t want to keep you longer.

LocalBozo.com:  Whatever it takes to get there I guess right?

HS:  That’s exactly how it is in this business.  You gotta be at the shows.  You gotta make it.  You gotta be there- like you said, whatever it takes.

LocalBozo.com:  Now the end of the year is always an exciting time for the WWE for its fans.  You’ve got the yearly Tribute to the Troops special airing on NBC on Wednesday, December 19^th at 9pm.  But on a more local level the company makes their first trip to the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday, December 16^th for the TLC pay-per-view event- Tables, Ladders, and Chairs.  The aforementioned show at the Garden of course.  You’ve got Raw on Monday, December 10^th at Newark.  And of course January starts the road to Wrestlemania, which is also coming to the tri-state area which is just across the pond at Metlife Stadium on April 7^th in New Jersey.  What is this time of year like for guys working in the company?

HS:  Honestly, it’s the busiest time of the year, if you want me to be honest.  It’s stressful and everything but then again, you signed up for a job, you know what’s ahead of you- you just have to suck it up and go through it.  Like you said, Tribute for the Troops is December 19^th.  It’s gonna be on [NBC] at 9pm.  We love doing the shows for the troops.  For everything that they’ve ever done for us and all that, like going over to Afghanistan and fighting for the country and everything, this is the least that we could do is go out there and perform while they sit back kick their feet up and just have a good time of being entertained.  And then like you said, December 16^th Brooklyn, New York, TLC, I mean, that’s one of the best pay-per-views that we got.  Tables, Ladders, and Chairs.  Who doesn’t want to go and see someone get hit by a table, get thrown off a ladder, and get put through a chair?  I mean, everyone wants to see that, am I right?  Even December 10^th in Newark, New Jersey, there’s [Monday Night] Raw television, you know?  So it’s busy and it’s gonna stay busy for a few months for us.  But then again it’s like, we know what we signed up for and we know there’s a bunch of fans out there buying tickets that’s ready to see a good show and we’re gonna give it to them like we always do.

LocalBozo.com:  Awesome Heath, before I let you go- the biggest story of the second half of 2012 has to be the emergence of Ryback as a top level superstar.  Give us your thoughts if you can on his lightning fast ascension. 

HS:  Honestly his work speaks for itself.  That’s all you can really say.  Just one of those guys where there’s no one that can stop him.  Period.  As you can see he can take on more than just one guy- he can take on two, he can even take on three at once.  But then again, you got a guy like C.M. Punk that’s been WWE Champion for over a year now and you have one of the top rising guys like Ryback right on his trails.  To me, TLC is going to be a great pay-per-view to watch because you’ve got Ryback versus C.M. Punk and I don’t know if C.M. Punk’s gonna keep the WWE Title that much longer if you want me to be honest. [Editor's Note: Since we conducted our interview, C.M. Punk sufferred an injury and the main event has been changed] And Ryback’s just like a wrecking machine, he’s like a terminator.  And I don’t know if he can really be stopped.  So to me, it’s gonna be a great pay-per-view to watch, great pay-per-view to purchase, to see.  And the only thing I can say is, you guys should just sit back, buckle up, and enjoy the ride because it’s probably gonna be one match you’d probably love to watch.

LocalBozo.com:  Heath, you’ve been so gracious with your time today.  Is there anything else you’d like to leave for the readers of LocalBozo.com?

HS:  Just remember 3MB’s on the rise.  You’re gonna love our music and what we do in the ring. (laughs)

The post-apocalyptic thriller genre in film is not necessarily a novel concept. Yet time and again with the release of a new film paying homage to a similar sort of premise, it remains to be frighteningly intriguing each time. Enter “The Day” (R), a brand new movie in this popular trope of grind house filmmaking. The film is a savagely brutal, in your face character study, packed to the gills with much of the pending end of the world set pieces that attracts us to movies in the first place. However below that surface lies a deeper story that makes “The Day” a terrific film and a breath of fresh air for the genre.

“The Day” stars Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings, Lost) as Rick, the leader of a gang of survivors left from an apparent end of days. As the film opens we see Rick followed by the rest of the group played by Shawn Ashmore, Ashley Bell, Cory Hardrict, and Shannyn Sossamon- five survivors trekking through a barren hell-scape looking for any kind of shelter and food to sustain them. The incredibly dark and depressed demeanor of the group and their dire surroundings sets an immediate tone of uncertainty, which is a pervasive factor throughout the entire film.

Once the characters arrive at their much needed place of shelter, the film takes an even darker and more confining tone. The shelter comes in the form of a mysterious house which foreshadows some horrific circumstances of things to come both inside and outside of its walls. The minimal set pieces that exist within the bulk of the film easily pay tribute to the classic horror film, “Night of the Living Dead” and crime-thriller, “Assault on Precinct 13.” Both of these highly notable works used one location to tell the tale of terrifying external forces trying to get inside to cause harm. “The Day” perfectly captures this tension, while at the same time elevating it with excellent acting, great modern film making techniques, and surprises. And speaking of surprises, this film has a ton of them. Repeatedly, you know something is coming but you don’t know when. The director and writers have perfectly choreographed these jarring and often very gory events to maximize the audience’s shock level.

Any fan of the gore and horror genre will feel right at home with “The Day.” From start to finish you can tell how much the film’s creators prefer a more traditional hard R rating, choosing to not hold anything back. Although it is worth mentioning that at the same time, the violence and bloodshed do not at all dilute the narrative. These graphic scenes only help to enhance a very bleak yet uplifting snap shot of the human spirit at work. Since we are running this piece as “The Day” is released, we are happy to celebrate it with an in depth audio and transcribed interview with Dominic Monaghan who both starred in and produced the film. Listen in as the “Lost” and “Lord of the Rings” actor discusses the process of creating the film, its tone and style, relating his previous career works to this new film, and what exciting projects he has coming up in the near future.

- Jay Rubin

 “The Day” starring Dominic Monaghan, Shawn Ashmore, Ashley Bell, Cory Hardrict, and Shannyn Sossamon is rated R, has a runtime of  90 minutes and is released on Wednesday, August 29th.

LocalBozo.com:  LocalBozo.com is happy to have with us Dominic Monahan of the new film- “The Day,” coming out on August 29^th from Anchor Bay and WWE Studios. Dominic how’s it going?

Dominic Monahan: Hey, everything is going great! I’m driving around in crazy, balmy weather in Los Angeles. I’m from England so I’m not used to anything that gets above eight-five degrees. So, I’m just trying to hide underneath my A/C all day.

LocalBozo.com:  Well, try to keep those windows closed because it’s very smoggy and who knows what going on in L.A. these days.

DM: I love L.A. It’s a fantastic city. I’ve been living here for almost ten years now. But I have to say I’m fiercely allergic to the air. You know I get really bad hay fever and sinus problems like that. So that’s one of the few bummers about L.A.  But it’s a great place to live.

LocalBozo.com:  Your new film, “The Day” has that fantastic post-apocalyptic feel which I love in this type of movie. Can you tell me what drew you to the film?

DM: I tend to do things based on material. And the material in this script was really strong. It was a great role they wanted me to play the leader of the gang. It was all about the script for me and the way they sold me on the character.

LocalBozo.com: “The Day” is unquestionably a hard R edge to it that so many films of today lack by going PG-13 and holding back.  If you could, please speak about that, and also talk about some films you loved from your childhood that compared to it.

DM: I don’t strictly chase after anything in particular apart for good material. So, it (The Day) happens to fall on the side of having a hard R rating and it doesn’t pull any punches you know. It’s certainly something that comes with a bit of a warning, but it’s not necessarily the type of material that as an actor I run around to get but it was the strength of the material. In terms of films that we were influenced by- it would have to be films like, “The Road.” Viggo Mortensen, who is a friend of mine just did a stellar performance in that. The world was very bleak. And you know a lot of these post-apocalyptic films had influence in that project. There are also elements, and it’s not as fantastic as, “The Matrix,” but the Matrix is a post-apocalyptic film. We really like the idea that no one really knows what has happened. These guys are on the ground dealing with it. That’s sort of the same in “The Matrix” to a certain extent. They don’t know how it got to this point but, they are trying to stay alive throughout.

LocalBozo.com: “The Day” has a real minimal look to it. And this shouldn’t be seen as a spoiler to anyone but, most of the scenes take place in one location, one house. And I feel that it has a real “Night of the Living Dead” element to it. Can you speak to that?

DM: Yes, there is some “Night of the Living Dead” stuff for sure. I think we were paying homage to that in some of the scenes where all you can see is silhouettes of people coming towards the house in a very siege mentality.  It was definitely one of the films we drew from. And some of the classic Hammer Horror films were also homaged in there as well. There’s the low lying fog, and some of these characters who come out of nowhere and shock you and scare you. We had a few scary children there as well. There was also an influence from “The Omen” and stuff like “Don’t Look Now,” which was an old Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie film which I really like. I think that good writers steal from other good writers, and that’s kind of known throughout history. That’s not say the script is not original, but it is certainly influenced by some of the higher quality horror-thrillers out there.

LocalBozo.com:  Dominic, you have a rich history on television as a cast member on “Lost” and on the big screen in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. In these roles you were also in life in peril situations. Please speak about any of your personal input that you added to “The Day.”

DM: I was lucky enough to be one of the producers on this film. So, I was hopefully helpful in working out how this film was going to get shot in a very small amount of time- what actors need in that regard, and how to move things along as best as I can. I mean, I’ve been really lucky that a lot of the projects I have been in deal with life and death where people are in extraordinary circumstances. The experience of that which is great. I think what’s helpful there is to try and keep it as level headed as possible. When ordinary people are in extraordinary situations, they don’t suddenly put on a cape and fly around. They remain human. Now, I was quite turned on by the idea that they are just normal people; they are just trying to stay alive. They are trying to get through life where the stakes are high. And I always attempt to make my performances as grounded as possible. It’s almost like, what would the audience do in that situation? The audience responds well to a hero type character that’s just like them.

LocalBozo.com: That’s totally right. All of the characters are grounded and seem like they could live in our modern world. But at the same time, moviegoers get that horror movie feel, of course gore-hounds get alot of what they want. And you get the action and suspense and it really rolls into one movie that many people can enjoy, so I thank you for that sir.

DM: My favorite thing about the film that it’s made very clear, very quickly that this is a film where anything can happen. We will kill people in surprising way. We will have a hero become a villain. We will have a villain become a hero. Nobody’s safe here and I love that about these films because the audience very quickly realizes that they can’t hang on to anything, they are going to have to let go.

LocalBozo.com: The WWE was one of the backers of this film. Can you please tell me what their on set input was, if any?

DM: We actually made the film as a strict independent with Gold Circle Films. And then we showed it in Toronto and Michael Luisi, the head of WWE Films just fell in love with the project and thought that it was perfect for the fan base of WWE. And I think that was very shrewd, because the fan base of WWE is basically young enthusiastic men and ladies as well. The fan base likes these sorts of thriller, horror, and siege movies. The film was made independently, but when WWE bought it they really marketed it well for an audience that is going to lap this up.

LocalBozo.com: Dominic, what are some upcoming projects you would like to inform the readers of LocalBozo.com about?

DM: I just finished creating this show called “Wild Things” which is my attempt to have people think a little differently about animals that most humans are scared of- snakes, spiders, scorpions, and bees. I go around the world trying to change people’s minds. And that’s something I am real excited about. That’s something that you can get more information about at my Twitter page, @DomsWildThings. That will come out in the early part of next year.

LocalBozo.com: “The Day” comes out on August 29^th and I expect all fans of horror, action, survival, end of the world and dramas to go out and see it! Again, thank you Dominic Monaghan for joining us here at LocalBozo.com.

 

Any listener of Sirius/XM’s Howard Stern Show knows his signature catchphrase – “Shalom, Biotch.” He’s Shuli Egar, a comedian who mixes his own Jewish background and upbringing with the staples of any stand-up comic: weed, reality television, and sex. As a member of the Howard 100 News Team, Egar’s role has expanded to that of a competent news reporter- well, one who reports on the likes of High Pitch Eric’s whereabouts or Bigfoot’s run-ins with the law anyway. More recently, Egar has become sort of a headliner- performing around the country on a Stern show inspired tour called “Ronnie’s Block Party,” led by Stern’s undersized security guard Ronnie Mund.

LocalBozo.com got a chance to sit down with Shuli Egar backstage at Metallica’s Orion Music & More Festival at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey for a candid interview. Read below as we recap how Egar was selected to participate in the festival, opening for Metallica, his thoughts on Howard Stern’s performance as a judge on America’s Got Talent, upcoming plans for the “Block Party,” and much more. And to learn more about Shuli Egar or to find out where you can catch him performing live, check out jewgonewild.com.

LocalBozo.com: Shuli, thanks so much for some time today bud.

Shuli Egar: Thank you and thank you for getting my name right. You’re the first one today.

LocalBozo.com: Been doing a lot of interviews today?

SE: Yeah, yeah. I think I just did a wrestling show. There’s a lot of shit going on here and I don’t know what exactly I signed up for. But it’s been fun man. Shit, to be honest with you the fact that I’m here and I didn’t have to buy a ticket- I’m pretty stoked to be here, man. Very excited.

LocalBozo.com: Awesome, we’re happy to have you. We’re huge fans of yours. How did you get involved with Metallica and with a metal festival?

SE: Well my first involvement with Metallica was an album I bought, years and years ago. Other than that, this kind of came about where Richard Christy, who I work with- he’s a writer and producer for the Howard Stern Show and former drummer of Iced Earth and Death, and now he’s the drummer of his own band, Charred Walls of the Damned. So Lars (Ulrich) was calling in for an interview with Howard and mentioned this festival and also mentioned for the first time to Richard’s knowledge that his band was going to play at this festival. So Richard was completely blown away and surprised and my job at Sirius- one of many- is as a news reporter and I went and interviewed Richard about it and I guess somebody at Orion heard the story and Richard forwarded me the e-mail from them saying that we’re interested in talking and getting in touch with Shuli to perform at this festival. But when I got the e-mail- I read it like three or four times. I’m like ‘why is my name in a paragraph with Metallica. I don’t fucking get it.’ And then it said ‘put us in touch with his manager,’ and I’m like ‘my manager’s making a gravity bong right now.’ But you know, we put on the professional gear and I’m here. So it’s my first experience with it- hopefully not my last. I hope they continue this festival and take it around everywhere.

LocalBozo.com: So your set is later this afternoon. Your comedy pulls no punches- a lot of it is Jewish related humor, if that’s fair to say. How do you have to temper your act or transition it toward a metal crowd?

SE: The Jewish stuff you hear, is ‘cause you write what you know. That’s why you don’t hear too many Qwanzaa jokes during my sets. I try not to focus too much on that because at the end of the day not everybody knows what it’s about to be Jewish. What people know about- the majority of people- is fuckin’, smokin’, drinkin’, and you know, making fun of retarded people. I’m not big on politics, so you’re not going to hear me do a lot of that. But it’s notoriously known that comics and concerts go together- it’s all in the way it’s presented. What’s good about this is, they have a specific stage set up for that. So the people that are there, are there to see comedy. So you’re not going to see people who are waiting to see a band surprised at a comic. You know my first gig ever doing that- I lived in Vegas. It was some local band. The lead singer saw me do stand up and he said ‘hey, come open for us- we’re doing a show, 800 people.’ I said, ‘awesome.’ So the guy who’s introducing me, he’s like ‘you guys ready to rock? You ready to rock? But first…’ I was like ‘but first? What an asshole.’ It was the worst intro ever. I remember coming up- the crowd’s booing. I’m like ‘thank you. Thank you for coming out tonight. Shabat Shalom, everybody.’ And it didn’t go well. This, what’s weird about it- I’m not nervous about it, like I feel like the shit I have to talk about, they’re gonna get. They’re gonna dig. And we’re gonna be alright. And even if I bomb horribly, I still get to watch Sepultura and Metallica.

LocalBozo.com: If it’s any consolation, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine killed yesterday so I think you’re gonna be in good hands.

SE: Those guys are great man. And to work with Jim Breuer again, like I am today. Going on before Breuer, opening for him if you will, I mean- I love it. All the guys who are doing stand up here, I’ve worked with and like 8 or 9 years ago, these are guys I was watching. I didn’t think I’d be here ever doing this. I was climbing up the ladder so slowly stand-up wise and career wise. It’s just The Howard Stern Show- it’s like the modern era Carson show. If he says ‘you are fucking funny’ it’s like ‘I like you.’ And everybody’s like ‘yeah, you know what he’s right. This guy is alright.’

LocalBozo.com: Gives you the rub.

SE: Yeah man. And thank God. People are always like ‘hey, what’s Howard like?’ I’m like ‘great, he hired me.’ I could give a shit about anything else, you know? He’s an awesome guy.

LocalBozo.com: The rest of the summer you have some Block Party dates lined up with Ronnie the Limo Driver and some other guys from the Stern Show, what’s on tap for the rest of 2012 for you?

SE: 2012, we’re booked with this Block Party. In September, we have some big shows coming to Los Angeles and San Diego. A lot of celebrities are going to be out there. There’s been talk of possibly a Celebrity SuperFan Roundtable going on. And not just that, we’re going to be touring this entire time- we’re going to Vegas, Texas, Florida, Boston, Baltimore- in March 2013, we’re going to be on this island of Jamaica- a little thing called- Ronnie Mund’s Jamaican Island Getaway, where it’s just going to be a ton of people from the show- staffers that you hear everyday, comics, Wack-Packers, you’re gonna see comedy shows, different people from the Stern Show are gonna host different kinds of events. We’re gonna have ‘Bocce Ball with Beetlejuice.’ We’re gonna have all kinds of shit. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. There’s no more loyal fanbase than Stern fans. And if you give them something that they like and you treat them with respect, and you don’t try to fucking schner them, they are the most loyal people out there. And I love that. There’s nothing better than hanging with other fans.

LocalBozo.com: Two quick Stern show questions- 1) how is Robin [Quivers] recovering and 2) your thoughts on Howard Stern’s performance on America’s Got Talent.

SE: Robin is doing fine- I haven’t spoken to her. I sent her an e-mail. I hear she’s doing well. She’s recovering. Any surgery is tough you know, so it’s going to take time. But they were predicting that she wouldn’t even be able to do what she’s doing now after surgery and she did it right away. She’s a fighter- she’s fought all her life and we’re looking forward to seeing the beautiful Robin Ophelia Quivers back at work very soon. I know Howard misses her a lot. As far as America’s Got Talent, I’ll be honest I never watched that show before, nor did I really look to watch it because those types of shows really aren’t my thing. I have talent, I don’t care what anybody else has- but anyways. But I love it, you know, because it gives a chance for Howard- there might be some hardcore Stern enthusiasts, fans from day 1 who are like ‘Howard sold out.’ It’s not selling out dude, he’s evolving. Every human being does it. Howard can never be more powerful than when he’s mainstream and when everybody that’s respectable has to respect him. And he’s on his way with this show. He’s so great at it. I tape it every week now, I watch it every week. My wife’s like ‘when’s AGT on?’ We’re into it man. I think he’s doing a great job. It’s fun. I’m really impressed with Nick Cannon too. I think he’s funny on there and his role on the show is good. I love Howie [Mandel] and Sharon- it’s good tv. I’m hooked. I’m hooked.

- Jane Van Arsdale

Native New Yorker Ami Horowitz led a normal life typical to other city residents. Residing in an apartment, working at an investment bank, Horowitz could have likely lived comfortably for the rest of his working life. Instead, Horowitz decided to follow the creative juices that flowed from his heart, quit his day job, and began a journey into filmmaking. The subject that allured him- the relative inaction, outright defiance, and corruption inside the United Nations, the most fundamental government run organization in the entire world. His five year journey would result in the release of documentary “U.N. Me” (PG-13, in limited theatrical release on June 1st, as well as on Video on Demand), a shocking and scathing look inside the world of the U.N.

The film, narrated by Horowitz himself, follows his travels to New York’s U.N. building, exposing some of the world’s authoritative and powerful representatives for measures of what is perhaps best described as international indifference- looking the other way as corruption was running rampant. Interviewing former U.N. employees, Horowitz pulls no punches in splicing in samples of their honest commentary with humorous takes on the gravest of circumstances, and also provides some of the more shocking images of the resulting violence amongst the innocent, resulting from U.N. futility.

As a documentary goes, “U.N. Me” is not without its own clear viewpoint. The five year period which Horowitz investigates yields some of the harshest and most intense examples of carnage and cruelty which we are led to believe is a direct result from the organization’s apathy. If nothing else, the film is captivating to its core- the very fiber of the way it is presented will at least make you think twice about the protections which seem to keep us secure, as the view of international relations proves more and more disheartening as the movie progresses. Regardless of which side of the fence you may stand on, “U.N. Me” will certainly evoke emotion from viewers- from outright anger as a result of the charges from the filmmaker to utter surprise, disbelief, and dismay that some of these antics are actually going on. Politics aside, this movie will make you think about circumstances that you likely never considered important and make you realize how much is actually going on inside the United Nations.

LocalBozo.com grabbed a few minutes with filmmaker Ami Horowitz to talk about his scathing new documentary “U.N. Me” (PG-13). Horowitz candidly discussed his decision to create the film, how shocked he was by what he discovered in the U.N., criticisms from his detractors, and so much more. The film is an incredible look inside one of the most fundamental international organizations and Horowitz, despite his clear viewpoint, takes you as close to inside the United Nations as possible.

“U.N. Me” is rated PG-13, created by Ami Horowitz, has a runtime of 90 minutes, and is in limited theatrical release and on Video on Demand services everywhere on Friday, June 1st.

- Jane Van Arsdale

On any short list of the most charismatic personalities in sports and broadcasting, Walt “Clyde” Frazier sits at the very top. With a Hall of Fame NBA career spanning 13 seasons, bringing two championship rings to the New York Knicks, since 1997 Frazier has utilized his unparalleled way with words and his incredible vernacular on television as the team’s color commentator on the MSG Network. Always the showman, donning one of his trademark flamboyant suits, Frazier has added yet another title to his extenstive resume- restaurateur. Earlier this month, the New York City restaurant scene accepted Frazier with open arms with ‘Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine,’ a dishing and swishing, hustling and bustling, stopping and popping homage to Frazier’s legendary career in a stunning and sprawling restaurant space that is changing the face of the conventional sports bar.

The LocalBozo team was invited inside ‘Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine’ to preview the recently completed space. Designed by Pritzker-Prize winning architect Tom Mayne, his team transformed the 10,000 square foot layout into a three-tiered 190-foot long area, displaying images from Frazier’s playing years. Some of the finest work inside sits on the ceiling in an ornate collection of aluminum and metal inspired by Frazier himself. At first glance, the main dining area is meticulously decorated and colorful. But upon closer inspection the design is actually patterned after Frazier’s classic suits. They are even hanging overhead and their array of colors adds to the overall ambiance of the main area’s dining experience. 

The kitchen also adds that cherry on top to an already exciting venture. Led by head chef David Waltuck (Chanterelle), it features the ever popular open view design allowing guests to watch each cook preparing their dishes. Seating is available for counter dining and if that wasn’t cool enough HD TVs are situated a long the space to watch any available games.

If the design of Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine impresses you, then wait till you hear about the cuisine. Waltuck has personalized the entire menu, which will provide diners with a variety of fantastic selections. Starting with appetizers, guests can get their meal off on the right foot with an order of innovative shared plates like the “Asian flavored guacamole with lotus chips” ($9) or “Potato “knishes” with sweet and spicy mustard, and chive crème fraîche” ($8). Highlighted main dishes range from the hearty to heart healthy. In the mood for a steak? Look no further than Frazier’s choice of a 14oz New York Strip, 16oz. Ribeye, or their 10oz Filet. Non meat eaters can feast upon the “Hearth-roasted vegetables, goat cheese, olive spread on seven grain bread sandwich” ($10). Besides the ones listed here, Frazier’s menu is packed with delicious choices perfected by some of New York City’s finest cooks.

Perhaps best of all is that “Clyde Frazier’s” is a restaurant, a sports bar, and a lounge, all comfortably rolled into one vast space. They’ve even got a foul line inside, encouraging people to head in and shoot free throws at will, making the restaurant an ideal spot for large parties- bachelor parties included. And Frazier has promised to make rounds at his restaurant fairly often. With an inspired food menu and cocktail list, a ton of space to kick back (and 56 flat screen tvs!), and just a stone’s throw from Madison Square Garden, “Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine” is officially shaking and baking in New York City’s Hells Kitchen. Regardless of how the Knicks are doing.

LocalBozo.com was privileged to sit down with NBA Hall of Famer and New York Knicks Color Commentator Walt “Clyde” Frazier for an exclusive interview. Listen as we discuss the concept behind his new restaurant, why 2012 was the right time for such a venture, donating his eccentric suits to decorate the space, the biggest challenge he faced in bringing the idea to fruition, and yes, we even talk about the rollercoaster ride of a season for our beloved New York Knicks. For more information on “Clyde Frazier’s Wine & Dine,” check out the website here (coming soon).

Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine is at 485 Tenth Avenue near 37th Street in Hells Kitchen.

- Jay Rubin

Second and even third generation athletes have started becoming commonplace in most major sports, with the sons and daughters of previous legends attaining greater levels of success than their parents and grandparents. We’ve seen sons of baseball sluggers called up to our favorite teams, outstanding shooting guards in basketball, and even a certain pair of star quarterback brothers, who’ve collected several championship rings in the NFL. From a similar mold and pedigree, WWE Diva Tamina began her professional wrestling career in early 2010 in Florida. Under the tutelage of her father, legendary wrestler “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and her brother, former WWE performer, Deuce, Tamina quickly rose to prominence, debuting with the main roster in the spring of that year, as a manager.

Relying more on her size and strength than most of the other Divas in the women’s division, Tamina’s athleticism has become her calling card and she’s worked to become one of the more impressive female workers on the roster, since her call up. With fans clamoring to see more of Tamina in the ring, only time will tell what the future holds for the promising young athlete.

On Sunday, March 18th Tamina and the Superstars of the WWE return to New York City’s Madison Square Garden on the “Road to Wrestlemania Tour” with a special start time of 5pm. Headlined by a six man tag team Main Event, Randy Orton and WWE Champion CM Punk team with the returning Triple H to take on Chris Jericho, Dolph ZIggler, and Cody Rhodes, the show is packed with all of the Superstars from the Raw and Smackdown brands and is the final New York City stop before Wrestlemania 28 in Miami, Florida on April 1st. Also of note, John Cena battles Kane in a Last Man Standing Match and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defends his title for the first time at The Garden against behemoths Mark Henry and The Big Show in a Triple Threat Match.

LocalBozo.com was fortunate enough to grab a candid interview with WWE Diva Tamina. Listen in as we discuss her start in the wrestling business, standing out amongst a sea of other Divas, her conditioning and nutrition on the road, and which past or present WWE Diva she’d like to battle in a Wrestlemania dream match. Also, Tamina makes her pick for the winner of the Wrestlemania 28 main event between John Cena and The Rock. Listen as LocalBozo.com sits down with one of the more promising young female Superstars to come along in quite some time.

- Jane Van Arsdale

To check out some of our previous posts on the WWE, check out our links below:

- Things We Like That Don’t Get Enough Respect- WWE (Posted 7/8/10)

- The WWE & a Blizzard Invade Madison Square Garden (Posted 12/28/10)

- LocalBozo.com Invades the Wrestlemania 27 Press Conference (Posted 3/31/11)

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The relatively mild winter we’ve had thus far certainly didn’t seem to prevent us from packing on the traditional holiday pounds. And how could they? Only working out like a madman could help us shake off the calories from the stuffing, potato, and cake parties we indulged in. But with 2012 just upon us, there’s still plenty of time for you to get back on track and adhere to your resolutions as we begin the new year.

Enter Food Network personality and Cooking Channel host Melissa d’Arabian, who this week premieres her new series, “Drop 5 Lbs with Good Housekeeping.” Adapted from the magazine, the ten episode series (premiering January 21st) utilizes every necessary fundamental to bring about easy lifestyle changes affecting weight loss, with a step by step guide for you to personally get involved. d’Arabian will be cooking up some tasty, healthy recipes, teaching some fat blasting fitness workouts, consulting with her on site nutritionists, and sharing her tips on dining out, portion control, snacking, effective food shopping, and keeping it all in perspective. Each of the series’ ten episodes has different themes, all of which are sure to be engaging and informative, and if followed, will surely have a beneficial impact on your waistline.

Host Melissa d’Arabian is no stranger to the small screen. The fifth season winner of “The Next Food Network Star” and host of “Ten Dollar Dinners” on the same channel, now makes her Cooking Channel debut with the new series. The mother of four, d’Arabian specializes in cooking healthy, but also on a budget, and effectively meshes her bubbling, enthusiastic personality with her specialized culinary skills. As such, d’Arabian is an ideal host for “Drop 5 Lbs. with Good Housekeeping,” and an ideal guest for an interview segment.

LocalBozo.com’s Registered Dietitian, Leslie Goldstein was fortunate enough to sit down with Cooking Channel’s Melissa d’Arabian, just days before her new series is slated to premiere. Listen in as we discuss everything from dining out in New York City, feeding families with picky eaters, how to prepare a nutritious meal for The Big Game, to which foods she considers ‘superfoods.’ She also gives us some hints as to what we can expect from “Drop 5 Lbs with Good Housekeeping” and what she hopes that viewers can take from the new show.

For more information about Melissa d’Arabian, you can follow her on Twitter @melissadarabian and read up on her whereabouts here. And check back at the beginning of every month on LocalBozo.com for our monthly ‘Healthy New York’ column, contributed by Registered Dietitian, Leslie Goldstein.

- Jane Van Arsdale