Host Actor And Author Mike Hill On Covering His Most Memorable Games The Evolution Of Sports Media A

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I think T.O. is the most misunderstood athlete of our era. I really do.

What's up you guys? I'm Rachel Demita and welcome to the Courtside Club.

Today I'm joined by an OG in sports media.

We have Fox Sports host, actor, and author Mike Hill.

Mike, welcome to the Courtside Club.

Rachel, Rachel, what's happening? How you doing? Good to see you. Been a minute.

I'm doing well. So I had to go back in the archives and because I was like,

it's been a few years since we've gotten together. It's been almost 10 years.

Almost 10 years. And you have not aged. You look the same.

I have changed a lot. Look, the grays are here, the worry, the stress.

I think I may have less hair. I may have lost a little weight, but you know,

that's from stress as well. So, but you look great.

I think you look great too.

We were, we were actually on the Courtside Club.

We worked together. Yeah. 2014 YouTube space.

I remember that. Yeah. Yep. I remember very well.

We was playing a game of horse and you beat me fair and square.

I'm not going to make any excuses, even though I was coming off of Achilles surgery.

I do remember that part.

And I hadn't really been on the outdoor court in a long period of time.

Once again, I'm not making any excuses. You won, you beat me.

I'm still waiting to get that rematch, but I guess I can wait another 10 years.

If I need to, but I'm going to get that rematch because I'm very competitive.

It was in a parking lot. I will give that to you.

The room was a little shaky, but, but yeah, we'll run it back.

I was thinking about it though.

That was kind of the first time that traditional media and the social media

started to merge because Fox sports was there.

And I think you were new to Fox sports at the time. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah. We had just launched FS1. I mean, so FS1,

this will be 10 years that FS1 has been around.

Obviously Fox sports has been around for like 30 years now,

NFL and all that type of stuff. But FS1,

the cable outlet of Fox just started in August of 2013.

So this year would be marked the 10 year anniversary and I'm still there.

So yeah, we had just started.

You're an OG in this space and you talk about me not aging,

but you've been in this game almost 30 years, which is crazy.

Yeah.

You look great.

Holding it down,

still diversifying yourself as media shapes into these new formats and goes

more digital, more into social.

But I want to know from your perspective,

because you have been in this space for so long,

what has been the biggest change that you have noticed over the years in media

and sports and in entertainment?

When I started off, media was just about, it was X's and O's.

It was about journalism, ask the question, answer the question.

Now it's become more of,

and opinionated space, drama, controversy,

all that type of stuff seems like it's overtaken sports journalism,

so to speak.

It used to be sports center was the king.

And then when we came in, we was doing Fox sports night.

We had our daily show that we was doing.

I had America's pregame, but it's more about debate now,

which is pretty cool because, you know,

you kind of bring the barbershop inside of the broadcast studios and

everybody's got an opinion, right?

So,

what you want is that you get the viewers to basically yell and scream at

somebody who they agree with or disagree with.

And, you know,

once again applaud those who they do agree with,

but it's changed a lot.

I've tried to kind of go with the flow a little bit here and there,

but I can only scream and yell and debate.

If I think Michael Jordan's better than LeBron so many times.

And what I've learned over the years is that I'm never going to convince a

LeBron fan that Michael Jordan is better.

That's just,

that's just not going to happen.

So that's the biggest that I've seen,

but also with the social media becoming a more and more of an impact.

You see a little bit more on Instagram.

You see the clips on Instagram and on Twitter.

Like you said,

your space YouTube was starting to become a little bit more and it's,

it's even more so now because you got basically channels and you got networks

almost on YouTube now and other outlets like that.

So it's changed a lot.

And I like the change for the better because it's getting a lot more people

involved and it's,

you know,

I just like evolution.

You talk about the screaming and yelling.

Everybody has an opinion.

Obviously on social media we are seeing the world's opinion at all

times,

which for somebody who kind of came up on social media and I started on

YouTube and obviously like you saw the beginning of my career,

that's,

that's all I was doing was YouTube.

But to me it has gotten even harder to keep your

mental sanity with all of these different platforms.

But one thing,

that I do like that you do with your social media is as I feel like you,

you try to share uplifting messages and share a little

bit more into your personal life.

And it's relatable in a sense that we might not see from other public figures.

So talk about your,

your mic checks a little bit.

My mic checks came from,

you know,

I wrote a book a couple of years ago called open mic,

my 50th birthday.

And it was my memoir and it talked about my personal life and the things that

I've had to overcome in my life.

A lot of the traumas,

that I had to overcome from my childhood that a lot of

people didn't know about.

A lot of people knew me from ESPN and maybe Fox.

And even,

you know,

when I was on the reality show and I was married to Cynthia,

but they didn't know the personal side of me.

They just saw it as a persona.

They saw this image that,

you know,

a lot of people in the business put out there.

So when I wrote this memoir,

I had to put this memoir out because I felt like,

you know,

well,

people told me it could help people because it helped me.

It was my first form of therapy.

It was my first time that I actually knew.

I needed therapy.

Cause I didn't know when I first started writing the book,

I just remember that before I'm sorry,

before I wrote the book,

I just remember crying all the time and didn't know why,

because I had a good job.

I was living a good life.

I was making good money,

but I was like,

why am I crying so much?

And I'm like,

am I losing my testosterone?

Do I need to take testosterone pills was wrong when you lose my manhood.

And I realized that I just had all this pain and the suffering and trauma that

was built up on the inside of me that I needed to release.

And so,

being able to write that memoir and allowing that to come out and talking about

the domestic violence that I saw coming up,

talking about the abuse I saw coming up,

talking about seeing my best friend being killed in a drive by shooting,

talking about my tumultuous relationships that I've had in the past and mistakes

that I've had in the past.

And even my broadcasting career,

the ups and downs of being who I am in his business and seeing all of that,

that I had to go through,

that I had to overcome that I had to try and overcome that.

I didn't realize that was trauma,

you know,

I had to get that off my chest and that became my therapy.

So after I wrote that,

I realized that I still needed to have an outlet.

And I realized that since I was being so vulnerable,

that's one of the reasons why you see me without anything on,

because I wanted to be vulnerable.

I wanted to bear my truth and bear my soul.

I felt like I needed to have a continuation of that.

So I think as public figures,

and I think it's important for people like you and celebrities and other people

like that to basically show people who you

really are,

because like you said,

on social media,

we put out these perceptions and these images of life is so great.

It's so grand.

I'm living this great life.

I'm on this set over here today.

I'm acting tomorrow,

writing this book,

I'm driving this fancy car,

whatever.

But behind the scenes,

you may be going through some difficulties that your fans or people who watch you or look up to you on television need to know about,

right?

Because if you don't do that,

then they get this perception that that's the life that they should be living.

And,

you don't have any problems.

Meanwhile,

they're over here and they got a plethora of problems and they're looking at you like,

wow,

how come I can't be like him or her?

Whereas even though you can live a lifestyle and you can have a lot of things,

you still have issues.

So what I started doing with my mic checks is like,

Hey,

you know what?

You can see me on television doing this and I'm a smile.

And yes,

I'm happy on the inside,

but I had to learn how to get my happiness.

So I use my mic checks as a way to remind people that I'm human too.

And that I go through issues and that I have pain and I have suffering.

So what I do is I'll think of a topic or whatever,

and just emote and basically tell people,

Hey,

this is how I felt.

This is what I went through.

This is one time where I wanted to basically kill the guys to work with honestly,

just honest conversations and how I was able to overcome that.

And what the message was that was involved in it and how I was able to grow and become a better person.

So,

you know,

it's gotten a good feedback and gotten a good,

response to whatnot.

I need to put more of those out there,

but they have to be natural.

They have to be something that is organic because I just can't make up something that's not inside of me and try and put it out there or people can they'll realize that you're not telling them the truth.

And so I just want to speak my honest truth and put it out there and hopefully people will get something out of it.

I think that's super powerful and even obviously in your book went so much further into detail and we're not just getting the little snippets that we see on social.

Comparison is the thief of joy when you're when you're watching everybody else's social media and they see the bright lights and I honestly I should take a page out of your book because I have a hard time showing some of those other sides because there's this.

This battle with me,

right?

Like,

I want people to be able to come to my page and come to my videos and see what I'm doing and it's like an outlet for them,

right?

They come they come there.

It's happy.

It's exciting.

We have.

Have fun and so I don't want to maybe dwell on the problems or the struggles,

but I do think that that's important because I've even caught myself at times looking at other people's lives are comparing what they have or where they're at in their career to where I'm at in my career.

And it's just such a human thing when you were growing up.

Was there ever a turning point for you where you saw the trajectory?

Of your life?

Shift and maybe put you on the path that you're on today.

I'm still evolving.

It's I don't think there was a one point in my life where I said,

you know,

I got to do something that's different outside of the outside the last five years,

right?

Um,

because when I was younger,

I grew up in an environment that wasn't,

I was,

I didn't say I was poor,

but I hate to say poor.

We were broke.

Uh,

poor is a mindset.

I think broke.

Is your financial state.

We didn't have a lot of money.

So I knew that there was something that was out there for me,

uh,

coming from New York and then moving to Alabama.

I knew that,

oh,

what I had in New York was better than Alabama.

So I want to go back to New York,

but also in New York,

I knew that there was something better in New York.

So there was always something that was innate in me that made me feel like I can do much more than what I have right now.

And even though back then we didn't have the internet,

we didn't have Google.

So it wasn't,

like,

I can see a lot of images of people who look like me on television and say,

hey,

you know,

we're outside the Cosby show.

This is a good life or whatever.

So,

um,

I just think that was something that was just God given.

I'm grateful for that.

I think that's a blessing.

I think that's the grace that he gave me.

I think that's one of the,

you know,

the,

the,

the blessings that he gave me,

uh,

the favor that he gave me when it came to that.

But the shift,

like I said,

if it wasn't over the last five years,

I don't know what really changed.

The shift for me over the last five years was once again,

starting to write the book and then realizing I needed that therapy.

I tell people this all the time.

I'm like,

I'm such an advocate right now for everybody to go and talk to somebody and get that mental therapy,

that help that you need,

because,

you know,

we deal with a lot of traumas that we just suppress,

uh,

for so many years.

And we don't even realize it's there.

I mean,

the fact that we survived 2020 alone with everything that we saw being in a

house,

and the pandemic and the images that we saw on television from daily,

and then the politics of this world,

this country and everything that's going on and,

you know,

like dealing with work and losing jobs,

inflation,

gas,

and all that is trauma that,

you know,

we've learned to live with,

but we still have to have an outlet to deal with it.

So,

um,

yeah,

I mean,

to answer your question,

I just think that was my shift.

That's what made me focus and say,

you know what,

no matter what I do,

uh,

even if my job,

just to make people happy,

I'm still going to use part of my platform to show people that,

Hey,

even though you live a good life,

there's a better life over here.

And even if your life,

you feel like it's not great,

it can get better.

If you focus and put yourself first and make yourself happy,

because that is the bottom line.

When I tell people all the time about their happiness,

happiness is a choice first and foremost.

And secondly,

your happiness is up to you.

Nobody can make you happy.

People can maintain your happiness or pour into your happiness,

add to your happiness.

But your happiness comes from within.

And that's what I had to learn how to do is just to make myself happy and

not looking to other places or other things to bring me that joy.

That's been something that is hard for me too,

because I find so much identity and,

and happiness and joy through my career and through work.

But obviously,

as we know,

we've been in this industry for,

you've been in it three times as long as I have,

but there are ebbs and flows up and down.

Yeah.

And some things are out of your control as well.

And you have to find how to be comfortable in that.

But that was one of my mind checks.

It's like,

you know what,

be thin.

What I've learned over the years is be thankful for the great times.

Obviously we,

because when we get a job,

somebody chooses us and say,

Rachel,

you're our girl.

We want you to host this program or whatever.

Yes.

You're happy and joyful.

You're so blah,

blah,

blah.

You just jump up and down.

You tell the world you want to put that on social media.

What about the times when they choose somebody else?

What about the times when they say,

you know what?

Nah,

you're not really our type or whatever week we go through that.

And we're going to have a lot of nodes for the most part.

A lot of us,

especially starting off,

you're going to have more nodes and you're going to have yeses.

But what I've learned to do is be thankful for the nodes because there are so

many nodes.

I told you this story about when I lost my job in Dallas and I was

going to go to those,

one of my mind checks when the jet Dallas,

and I was out of work for a year and a half.

And this guy was bad mouthing me or whatever.

If there's no reason,

it was a lot of racial issues that were going on and all that

type.

Stuff.

And I finally got an opportunity to interview for a job in

Tampa and I needed a job.

And I went to interview in the job in Tampa.

And the guy told me,

Hey,

basically,

if I don't find that you're an ax murderer,

you got this job two weeks go by.

I don't hear anything.

And I'm like,

what's going on?

Why don't I have a having a,

I'm supposed to be moving to Tampa.

I'm trying to move my family to Tampa,

call back,

find out this guy has been bad mouthing me to the people in

Tampa.

I can't even get that job in Tampa.

This is when I wanted to go down there and hurt this

man,

right? Something spoke to me and said,

you know what?

I got something better for you after that two weeks later,

that's when I got a job from it.

I got a call from ESPN.

So once again,

that no of Tampa,

they saying no,

whatever,

whatever reason it was,

if I would accept that that job in Tampa,

I would have never gotten my opportunity at ESPN,

which came a couple of weeks later.

You understand what I'm saying?

So I had to be thankful for that.

No,

because if it wasn't for that,

no,

I wouldn't have gotten the right.

Yes.

That I needed that propelled my career made me who I am

today.

Because being that ESPN for nine to 10 years,

put me on the map and allowed me to have the

career,

the radio shows,

TVs,

the exposure and all that stuff.

The job at Fox sports that I enjoy today was because

of that opportunity at ESPN.

Mike,

since you said that it made me think of what happened

to me and you kind of play into it,

which is crazy.

Cause I don't even know if I've told this story before.

Uh, so we obviously I worked with Fox sports one at

YouTube space.

When you and I,

I met and we played that game of horse and made

that YouTube video,

right? That was my first time ever working with Fox sports.

And then they had approached me and said that we're doing

this show for Fs1 that we'd like you to audition for.

So I auditioned for it.

Like I did the original and then I think I had

two callbacks and it was between me and one other person.

I think it was for crowd goes wild.

Do you remember that show?

Yeah.

I remember crowd.

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

So Katie Nolan ended up getting that job and she's great.

Okay.

But I remember at the time,

cause I had been like months of going through these auditions.

I was devastated and I was like,

wow, like I really thought this was going to be kind

of my first,

you know,

regular hosting gig.

And I was really devastated.

And I think that that was in like February that they

told me that,

you know,

they had went with somebody else anyway,

three months later is when two K called me.

And so again,

I wouldn't have been able to do my job at NBA,

two K TV.

If I did,

not get that original.

No.

From Fox.

How long did you,

how long did you have the jet?

You still had two K.

How long did you have the job?

Two K.

I was with two K for five years,

five years.

Crowd goes,

wow.

Got canceled before a year.

Think about that.

Right.

So you got the job.

You could have,

they would have flown you to New York.

It was where you was on Regis.

I'm not saying that it could have propelled you.

I mean,

Katie obviously made a name for herself in that show or whatnot.

And so you still would have done great with your,

your career,

but the fact that who knows it could have been the wrong.

Yes.

And so that's what people got to understand.

Sometimes you get a yes.

You're excited about that.

Yes.

You think it's a great opportunity,

but it could be the wrong.

Yes.

It could be the wrong opportunity that could actually derail your career or

stifle your career sometimes.

So that's what I'm saying.

Like,

I,

and I'm very spiritual person and I,

I had,

you know,

I've always been a spiritual person,

but now I've learned to just kind of let go and let God.

And so,

when it comes to that,

I'm like,

you know what?

Yeah.

I didn't get the job,

but you know,

something better is going to come along for example,

like right now I'm,

I'm in a situation where I'm an OG in this game.

People know me for a long time.

I've been doing this for a long time,

but I'm freelancing pretty much over the Fox.

Now I do see some stuff,

you know,

college basketball,

college football,

and I get a lot of run.

Don't get me wrong,

but after college basketball season is like,

okay,

now I've got to hustle.

Now I got to go out here and I got to find acting gigs.

I got to find commercials.

I got to find little side gigs here until something permanent comes along.

So what I'm saying,

it's like I could panic.

I can get upset about things and opportunities come along.

I've seen other people get opportunities.

I'm like,

well,

why,

what about me?

How come not even being considered?

I can say all that to myself.

And I'm like,

you know what?

That's not for me.

What's for you is for you.

And what's for them is for them.

And once you put that mindset into play and you realize that,

and you have that type of attitude and you go forward and like,

okay,

well,

what's next,

you're going to be so much better for you and your career,

whatnot.

And once again,

sometimes getting an opportunity may not be,

be the opportunity that you actually need or that is going to be

beneficial to you.

So remember that.

I appreciate that.

And I feel like everybody listening can appreciate that too.

Whatever stage of life you're at,

whatever career path you're on,

whatever your goal is that you're going after.

And it also takes some experience to like,

get that through your mind too.

The first couple knows,

heard a little bit worse.

They all sting.

They all sting.

You know what?

Okay.

Well,

all right.

Well,

that,

that means,

I'm just going to work hard and make it happen somewhere else.

Mike.

I want to get more into a sports college football after halftime,

but I would like to take a halftime break if you're down.

Okay.

Let's do it.

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Hope New York 4 6 7 3 6 9.

We're going to go back to a classic start bench cut.

Okay.

Okay.

Start bench cut.

I got you.

You've been a football guy for a while.

I have NFL quarterbacks.

We have Tom Brady,

Aaron Rogers,

and Peyton Manning start bench cut.

Oh,

well,

obviously I'm starting to go Tom Brady.

And I am going to bench Peyton Manning and I'm going to cut Aaron Rogers.

I'm obviously Tom Brady.

Self-explanatory Peyton.

Manning is the most cerebral quarterback that's ever played this game.

So I want that capable backup that if Tom doesn't get the job done,

I know Peyton's going to get the job done and Aaron while he's incredibly

gifted and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

I don't know if I want the personality and I don't know if I want the person

that when it comes to playoff time,

he doesn't get the job done.

So yeah,

that's why I'm going to put Aaron Rogers.

All right,

Mike,

we have some wide receivers.

We have Jerry Rice.

Okay.

Tio,

you were just on his show.

Yeah.

And Calvin Johnson.

Okay.

All right.

So I'm going to cut Megatron even though I love Calvin Johnson.

I think he would have been playing for a better team.

He would have been definitely top three receiver all the time.

I am going to believe it or not bench people who believe is to go Jerry

Rice.

I'm a venture.

Okay.

And I'm going to start my man Tio.

Cause that's my man.

That's my guy.

I just,

you know,

if I'm starting to see if he's on my team,

I got to start my guy.

I got to start to you.

I think Tio is the most misunderstood athlete of our era.

I really do.

I believe this is a man who,

and I'm doing a lot of things with Tio.

So I'm getting to know him a lot better,

but if you read his book,

you'll understand his background.

So he was talking about the background of people and getting to know who they

are and their mental health and all that type of stuff.

Tio has gone through a lot in his childhood and it became part of his

persona.

If people know that.

So we're working on a couple of things that's coming out pretty soon.

So watch out,

get your popcorn ready for Tio.

No,

I was actually really impressed with your guys' conversation on his show.

I thought it was great.

And he went into more depth than I think I expected from him as well.

Yeah.

Yeah.

See,

I mean,

he's,

he's a smart guy.

He's a deep guy.

There's one,

like I said,

I just think he's misunderstood.

And,

um,

because of the media done a good job,

like,

and that's the thing about it.

Who's talking about the beginning of this,

this,

this show,

um,

how things have changed.

It's like,

you can have a guy like Skip Bayless who can come out and be for you

against you or Stephen A.

Smith before it gets you.

And it can divide a lot of your fan bases out there when it comes to a

lot of these teams and a lot of these organizations in,

in,

in,

in,

uh,

different sports.

So,

you know,

I think he's one of those guys that got a bad rap because he's never

gotten in trouble off the field.

Uh,

he doesn't drink.

He's just started drinking as a matter of fact,

because he has a wine company,

but he doesn't drink hard alcohol.

He doesn't smoke,

never been arrested,

domestic,

violence,

anything like that.

DUIs,

none of that type of stuff,

but yet he's got one of the worst raps of NFL and NFL history.

So,

and I think it's misunderstood.

Well,

we will be on the lookout for what's next for you guys.

All right.

Next up,

we have some teams.

I know you,

you were in New York and Alabama.

So we have Alabama roll tide,

roll tide,

uh,

the giants and throw basketball in there.

The Knicks.

Oh,

start bench cut.

Oh,

all right.

So I'm going to start with Alabama,

the Crimson Tide,

because Nick save,

and that's the greatest college football program of all time,

in my opinion.

So I'm definitely going to Alabama,

the dominance that they have.

I am going to bench the New York giants because even though,

you know,

before this year,

the last couple of years have been very,

uh,

had a lot of drought.

Uh,

they have one,

four Superbowls and then I'm just going to cut the next,

because they just get on my nerves,

man.

I just can't,

they are just,

they are that,

that problem child.

It's almost like having a child who gets in trouble all the time.

Like you got to love them because it's your child.

But at the same time,

like you get sick of them and you just want to get rid of them.

You wish you can just emancipate yourself from,

but you can't let them go.

That's how it is with the Knicks.

They are just,

they are so disappointing and they bring back so many daddy issues.

I have,

it's like,

they look promising in the beginning and then all of a sudden they just break your heart.

And I got to learn not to let the Knicks break my heart,

Rachel,

because they break my heart every single year.

That's the New York Knicks.

So I'm tired of the New York Knicks.

So cut them.

As a matter of fact,

get rid of them.

I don't even want to talk about them anymore.

See,

you got me fired up,

Rachel.

You're about to storm off just because of that question.

No,

they give you that little sliver of hope just to crush your hopes and dreams.

Yeah,

it's just,

they just,

yeah,

they team.

I'm an Ohio sports fan,

so I feel that to the core.

I feel like all of our teams on every single level have done that to us year in and year out.

Ohio State being the purest example of that this season.

We can talk about that later.

Yes.

So yeah,

I feel your pain.

I was there.

You were there.

Yeah.

I was there at the Michigan-Ohio State game.

Oh God.

I was there.

I saw it firsthand.

All right,

moving on.

Let's talk about some current players in the NBA.

Okay.

We have Luka,

Giannis,

and Ja.

Three exciting players right now.

Kind of this new school wave that we have.

All right,

I'm going to start Luka because he can do it.

There's nothing.

Luka is my favorite player in the NBA.

I love Luka Doncic.

There's nothing this man can't do.

I wish he was a better defender,

but we're not going to worry about that.

And I'm going to bench Giannis as much as I hate it.

If Giannis had a jump shot,

he would be unstoppable.

If he had a consistent jump shot.

And Ja,

do I have to cut Ja?

Can I just put him on waivers?

And then maybe if no other team claims him,

I can pick him back up.

I mean,

like,

I don't want to cut Ja.

I love,

why you make me do this?

But if I had to cut one,

I would cut Ja.

That's hard.

Yeah,

it's tough.

That's hard.

That's tough.

That's hard.

But yeah,

yeah,

he'd have to go.

They're all three such exciting players.

And right when you think that Ja's kind of hit his ceiling,

like no pun intended because he's literally hitting the ceiling.

Yes.

When he dunks,

but he,

he surprised you even more.

And I feel like just watching his growth and,

and his ability to,

you know,

not only just be this explosive player,

he's,

he's taking it up a notch every season.

So it's,

it's really fun to watch.

Yeah.

Okay.

Last but not least,

some shows that you've been a part of.

We have America's pregame,

we have Fox Sports Live,

and we have Hyperdrive.

That was on Netflix.

Oh,

wow.

Okay.

I'm going to cut Fox Sports Live because I was a part of that show,

but that wasn't my show.

America's pregame was my baby.

So I'm starting America's pregame.

That was my baby hosted by moi,

my show.

So,

and then I'm going to bench Hyperdrive because even though I was the host of

that show,

I have three other co-hosts with me or whatnot.

And it was,

you know,

it was about the drivers or whatever,

but yeah,

it sounds a little selfish,

but yeah,

I'm going to go with that.

I think America's pregame.

I think it could have been a really good show.

I would have tweet some things here and there and I would have given a

little bit more promotion from Fox,

but yeah,

we'll see what happens in the story.

Everything happens for a reason.

So having that experience is propelled me and made me a better person,

a better broadcaster.

I should say it prepared me for actually Hyperdrive to be able to have the

opportunity on Hyperdrive.

And we will see what's next.

Okay,

it's time for the second half.

All right.

We talked about college football a little bit.

You covered it this season.

What was the best game that you covered and what teams really excited you this

season?

Well,

obviously the most exciting game I covered this year,

just the most exciting experience I had not just this year,

but maybe in a long time was just being in the environment of being at my

first Ohio State,

Michigan game to be there in Columbus to see all those people there.

I know it was heartbreaking for you,

Rachel and a lot of people there,

but to be there on the set with Urban Meyer to be able to hang out with Urban

the night before and or the night after the night before and then to get his

thoughts about that game and the intensity and the struggle as a coach and

the emotions that the coaches and the players going through to get that feeling

to be in that environment.

It was just something that I'll never forget.

Who were you rooting for?

Were you rooting for?

OSU?

I can't say,

you know,

I was I won't say who I was rooting for because I don't want to upset you,

but I just I like Michigan.

I mean,

I don't know what it is about Ohio State.

I have respect Ohio State,

respect the players,

respect Urban Meyer,

obviously because he's a colleague of mine.

I've gotten to know him a little bit better over this this past year when I started doing big

noon kickoff filling in for Rob Stone.

But yeah,

Michigan,

I just been intrigued by their players and hardball and trying to get over that hump,

you know,

maybe it was just the underdog role of them.

Just losing so many years and I predicted last year.

They will beat Ohio State and this year.

I really thought Ohio State was going to beat him because Michigan didn't have their star running back,

Blake Quam,

but they surprised everybody.

I think Ohio State's defense just did a poor job in the second half,

not adjusting and it just it just,

you know,

it was an avalanche and the the fact that Ryan Day,

who's Ohio State's head coach,

he's lost pretty much three games.

Oh,

the last two seasons so funny one in the college football playoffs,

three huge days and they want to basically fire this man that lets,

you know,

how intense this robbery is because urban you told me he's like during this week.

You can't sleep at night.

You can't sleep thinking about it.

Your families are affected by it.

Ryan Day's families affected his kids and pulled out of school.

I believe or whatever.

They got issues at school or whatnot.

It is just that intense when it comes to Ohio State of Michigan.

So by far,

that game was the most memorable game that I covered this this past season.

I think that's the thing of being an Ohioan.

It's take the entire record from both teams completely away when it comes down to that game because I don't care if Ohio State is one in eight and Michigan is eight and one when it when you get on that field for that game.

It's like everything is out the window.

It is only those two teams and they're both going to be there to compete.

That's why I think that's your championship.

They told me urban.

I told you that the Ohio State Michigan game the winner that's he said it was more intense preparing for that game than preparing for a national championship game.

That's how meaningful and important that game is to people who live in Michigan and Ohio.

Can we talk about how my New Year's Eve was absolutely ruined?

Oh my God, your New Year's Day.

Like I'm looking at this if you're on the east corner where you are now, but on the east coast the kick goes through the.

Mrs.

He misses the kick right at midnight.

How crazy is that?

I'm at dinner, right?

Trying to have a normal New Year's Eve and I was watching it.

We actually went to the Oklahoma City Thunder game.

I was in Oklahoma.

We want we were at that game and we went to dinner after to like have a normal, you know, New Year's Eve with my boyfriend who it doesn't really care about Ohio State.

He's from Texas, right?

But I'm watching it on my phone and I'm like, oh field goal, right?

This is fine.

This is within range there.

They're panning over Georgia.

Players are already crying.

I'm like, we're good.

It's fine.

So I look away for a second and I look back and I'm like, wait, why is then I see Ohio State players crying and I'm so confused.

Wait, what?

Because I didn't want I didn't watch the play.

I thought we were good.

I was like, this is it.

You'll see you say Happy New Year.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So then I look back.

I said, you're kidding, right?

And I think I was laughing.

Like this is like, this has to be a joke.

Like this.

Yeah, there's no, there's no chance, you know, and everybody had Georgia and obviously, you know, we saw what Georgia did in the national championship.

But come on, man.

And that probably makes it worse because you were that close to defeating the team that destroyed TCU in the national championship game.

Exactly.

And you know, and also as Ohio State fan, even more so because earlier you saw Michigan lose, which made you feel great.

You're like, okay.

Well, we would have loved to have played them in the national championship game, but nothing is better than outside of an Ohio State win than Michigan losing to anybody.

Right?

If you're an Ohio State fan.

So you see Michigan lose.

So you're already hyped for that.

You're playing Georgia.

You're up by double digits against Georgia defending national champions.

You blow that lead.

You come down the field.

You have an opportunity to keep the game winning field goal to go to the national championship game.

And it's not even close.

And then you see the next week that Georgia destroyed.

This team that, you know, you probably would have destroyed to and won a national championship.

So that's what you had to go through.

Yeah, it was tough.

And you know what?

This is the last thing I'm going to say on it.

I said, I was like, it's either going to be Ohio State, Michigan and this championship, which is what I want.

I would love a rematch.

Or it's going to be TCU, Georgia.

That's in my mind.

I had already prepared for that.

Mm-hmm.

And so when Michigan lost, I was like, we're so good.

We're we'll still win.

But it won't be as fun.

That championship game won't be as fun as Michigan got there.

But I guess I was right all along.

I was like, this is how the cards are going to fall.

It's either going to be this fairytale ending that we all want selfishly.

Or anyway, I just made that whole segment about myself.

But I think that's okay.

A little bit.

This is this is once again, we will always go back to therapy.

You got to let it go.

You got to get it out your system.

You got to be able to expel that.

The bad thing is if y'all would have played Michigan in the national championship game.

And lost again.

Yeah, you probably would have canceled this football season coming up.

I mean, just like just why even bother?

Why even bother?

But yeah, how did you feel about the Giants season?

Pleasantly surprised.

I am.

I will take it.

You know, the fact that they got to the playoffs.

They got to a good start.

Got to the playoffs.

The fact that we saw progress with Daniel Jones.

Saquon Barkley is healthy again.

And the fact that they actually won a playoff game.

I mean, I who?

As a Giants fan wouldn't take that.

I knew this team wasn't going to the Super Bowl.

I knew this team wasn't capable of winning the Super Bowl.

Unless everything else fell out of place for every other team in the National Football League.

But to see progress.

I'm just hoping that they can build on it now.

And we'll see what they do with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley in the offseason.

That's going to be the big question.

Do you think that they can build because I've seen a lot of Philly people are split.

The problem is like you can't I don't you can't overpay Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley.

I will.

Like to see what Daniel Jones does with a healthy line of good line that protects him

and some weapons give him some weapons.

I would like to see him have a quality number one receiver in the National Football League

and a solid offensive line and I want to see what Daniel Jones can do.

I think the defense is going to build on, you know, what they started this year,

even though they weren't great in the in the playoff game against Philadelphia Eagles.

I think they can build on that but I'm more concerned about what

kind of weapons and what kind of toys that ronde was going to be able to get this offseason

to go along with Daniel Jones as they decide to keep them last on the football note.

Do you have a Super Bowl prediction?

I do.

I am.

All right in the AFC.

I'm gonna go with I think.

Oh, I wanted to go with kids.

I just don't know with with with Patrick Mahomes in his leg.

If Patrick Mahomes were healthy, I would definitely go all in on Kansas City.

But.

Even Patrick Mahomes on one leg is better than 90% of the league.

So I'm going to be grudgingly say Kansas City only because they got home field.

Right, right.

So they got right, but Joe Burrows that guy man.

So I'm gonna say Kansas City and then on the NFC side.

I am going to go with the Philadelphia Eagles and I just made that decision right now.

I mean like I mean you got a quarterback party.

When is the Cinderella?

When is the time up?

When is the clock strike?

12 and so it'd be good to see Andy Reid trying to win another Super Bowl against his former team.

The Philadelphia Eagles in the suit.

I'll be pretty good.

Nice matchup.

Kansas City Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

That's my prediction.

I'm so put the bangles in there just for Ohio for Ohio.

I mean, they won five playoff games over the last two years.

I mean like the look Cincinnati's here this that seems for real and they still don't have an offensive line in front of.

Joe Burrow.

But once again, Joe Burrows that guy that that's it.

If you're a Bengals fan, if you're a Cincinnati fan, you have to be pleased knowing that you have a quality quarterback.

You have an elite quarterback and not many teams can say that and that's the reason why is a John's fan.

I'm not ready to let go of Daniel Jones because there are only so many elite quarterbacks in the league and fortunately for Bengals fans.

You got one Kansas City Eagles.

Did you say who you're taking?

Uh,

and it comes down to it to the help of Patrick Mahomes.

But by that time two week by I'm gonna say Kansas City wins it all Kansas City in a close when I'm going 2723 Kansas City over the Eagles early lied.

Okay, we'll come back to this in a few weeks.

Yes.

Cool.

All right, Mike before we let you go.

I have some buzzer readers for you.

Okay.

All right.

What is the best game that you've ever sat courtside or field side?

For Yankees?

2000 World Series game five winning the whole thing.

I mean big Yankee fans.

So yeah, just being there covering that game.

That's the best feeling I had and then being in the parade a week later.

That's cool.

Who are they playing against?

They were playing the Mets.

That was the Subway Series in 2000.

Yeah, it was one person dead or alive that you would love to sit courtside with man.

I would love to take in a game with Will Smith.

All right.

I know people down on will but I still love will man.

I just think that he had a moment.

Once again goes back to the mental health and everything that he's been suppressing.

So I would love because I just think he's a down-to-earth.

He's quasi guy and he loves sports soup.

So yeah, Will Smith and he'd be funny.

Yeah, it'd be fun.

He'd be fun.

And last but not least.

What is one event in history?

It could be a sporting event or other that you would have loved to have been courtside for.

Hmm.

Oh, I guess since I'm with that heart.

I wish I could have been there tonight.

It's actually won a championship.

It's in the world.

He came back out in game seven.

I hate to experience that because I've experienced so many great moments with all my sports scenes.

You got all my sports scenes.

What changes that the Knicks in my lifetime?

So it's all would love to have been there to see the Knicks and was re popping out of the tunnel.

Come back and gaze up.

It would respark that that hope until next season.

Yeah, a memory.

I can have before I die Mike.

Thank you so much for joining us.

On courtside Club.

Let everybody know where they can find you and anything else.

We should be on the lookout for.

Okay, you can find me on all social media on it's Mike Hill at its ITS Mike Hill on Twitter on Instagram.

Tick-tock.

I don't know what it is on Tick-tock, but also continue to buy the book open.

Mike my memoir that on Amazon.

You can get that at Barnes and Overs calm and target.com and walmart.com and just watch out.

I got a lot of things coming up projects.

Acting gigs some movies that are coming out that I shot last year.

So yeah, be on the lookout for much much more from the OG.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you Rachel.

Appreciate you having me great stuff.

It was fun.

Hopefully next time.

It's not another 10 years.

We have to do that.

Well, we can't wait 10 more years.

Come on.

We can't wait 10 more years.

Yeah.

All right.

Thank you.