Ride Home Rants
Ride Home Rants
Beyond the Punchline: Life, Loyalty, and Sports
What does true loyalty look like in today's world? Whether it's sticking with your heartbreaking hometown sports teams or staying at the same company for over three decades, John Middleton embodies a steadfast commitment that feels increasingly rare in our current culture.
In this engaging conversation with host Mike Bono, John shares the emotional rollercoaster of being a Cleveland sports fan—from the gut-wrenching "Drive" and "Fumble" eras through the Baker Mayfield years to the current Deshaun Watson debacle. "You have to be loyal," John insists. "I cannot go away from my hometown." This devotion extends beyond sports into his professional life, where he's built a 33-year career at Component Repair Technologies, rising from factory worker to visual dimensional inspector for jet engine parts.
The discussion takes a fascinating turn when Mike opens up about his 13-year journey as the self-described "angry white comic" navigating today's comedy landscape. Both men reflect on how growing up in close-knit families (Italian for Mike, Scottish for John) fostered the resilience needed to thrive in a world increasingly sensitive to humor. "I think if people just laughed more, we would be a much happier society," John observes.
Their conversation weaves through shared passions—from golf's unique appeal as an individual sport to the powerful pull of ancestral homelands. John's trips to Scotland have connected him with family and history, while Mike speaks of his future plans to visit Italy: "It's not if we go, it's when we go."
The episode concludes with John's simple yet profound advice: approach life positively and learn from every experience. As Mike notes, "Failure doesn't mean you lost, it just means you learned something." In a world fixated on constant change, there's something refreshing about celebrating the quiet dignity found in loyalty, perseverance, and maintaining a sense of humor through life's inevitable challenges.
Subscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREE
Tactical Brotherhood
The Tactical Brotherhood is a movement to support America.
Dubby Energy
FROM GAMERS TO GYM JUNKIES TO ENTREPRENEURS, OUR PRODUCT IS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE BETTER.
Shankitgolf
Our goal here at Shankitgolf is for everyone to have a great time on and off the golf course
Buddy's Beard Care
Buddy's Beard Care provides premium men's grooming products at an affordable price.
Sweet Hands Sports
Elevate your game with Sweet Hands Sports! Our sports gloves are designed for champions,
Deemed Fit
Be a part of our movement to instill confidence motivation and a willingness to keep pushing forward
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Follow us on all social media
X: @mikebonocomedy
Instagram: @mikebonocomedy
@tiktok: @mikebono_comedian
Facebook: @mikebonocomedy
Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. This is, as always, your host, mike Bono. I have a great guest for us today. He comes to us all the way from the suburbs of Cleveland, ohio, and that is John Middleton, who joins the show. John, thanks for joining, brother. Hey, great to be here.
Speaker 2:Mike, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Not a problem at all. Like I said, you know you're from the suburbs of Cleveland originally and mentor. What was it like growing up in one of the biggest suburbs of Cleveland and being that close to the city?
Speaker 2:It was really cool being close to Cleveland and me being a big sports fan, it just really made it feel personal with sports, the heartache. But Cleveland to me is just very special to me and being that close is great. I mean commute-wise, easy to get downtown and it's just a great area to be a part of.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I've heard nothing but good things from the Mentor area. I've done a lot of comedy shows in the Mentor area, so I love getting to go up there and do shows there too as well. It's always fun. It's always a great crowd too as well. Haven't been able to get into the big city of Cleveland yet I am still working on that too as well but loved Cleveland every time I've gone up there. Like I said, I have no bad experiences so far up in Cleveland and being a sports fan. When you mentioned heartache, I am a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, so if that tells you anything about heartache, I've learned from pretty much the best of the best growing up near the Pittsburgh area, but Cleveland didn't have that great of a team before in the in the heydays either too as well. So I definitely understand that being a big sports fan and loving your city, no matter what.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you have to be loyal. I cannot go away from my hometown. It's just. I've known people to do that, especially with the football. You know I I need people that will root for the guardians slash Indians. And then they love the Steelers because the Steelers are just a good organization. They win and people got tired of the Browns being just. They've been absolutely awful since they came back to the NFL. They had one little stretch with Baker Mayfield, but other than that it's been tough. So yeah, but I'm loyal through and through, no matter what. I can't shift gears and go elsewhere.
Speaker 1:I understand that a hundred percent. Like I said, I grew up about an hour outside of Pittsburgh, in a little town in West Virginia and with there being no pro sports teams in West Virginia, it's kind of a fair game. But growing up that close to the stadium, I always root for the Pittsburgh teams, especially the Steelers. But I am a Buccaneers fan by trade. So thank you to the Cleveland Browns for letting us have him. I think that was probably the dumbest decision they've made and letting him go elsewhere worked out for us so far. So I can't complain about that one bit, so for sure. But yeah, I know Cleveland. Yeah, that's them with Baker. That's the last I can remember in my 36 years of being around that they were relevant in the NFL.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they really had a good thing going there and I'm not sure what went wrong. But Mayfield, he's a gutsy guy and there's no doubt in Tampa he's just got weapons. He's flourishing there and good for him. I liked him and I was disappointed when things didn't work out. But that's one of many bad decisions the Browns have made since they've came back. I mean, what can you say about the Watson debacle? Yeah, it's terrible. What can you say about the Watson debacle? It's, it's, and I'm not really the Browns. To me, when I was younger, bernie Kosar, the eighties was when I was really into the Browns and I can't even express my heartache with that time period, with the drive, the fumble, all that you know. That was gut wrench, all that you know that was gut wrenching to me.
Speaker 1:I get it, yeah. I mean, it seems like you know, when you're a fan of a team, you know you feel the heartaches of the team when there's things like that happen to as well. For sure, I get that through and through. I love sports to death. I got a degree in sports, journalism and broadcasting, uh, so you know, that was the plan for me to go into that realm. Um, lo and behold, 13 years later, I'm I'm doing stand-up comedy. So you know, I definitely understand that too as well. Uh, but I still root for the teams like as, if, you know, I was a little kid and watching them growing up. It's fun, win or lose to me. I love all things sports for sure, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:And the Pirates I can remember when I was younger, when they had Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. They were pretty good. And I remember the Willie Stargell days. I'm old enough to remember that they, they were good. I mean, you know, the Pirates now are a small market but they had success. And, and you know, sports have changed a lot to where now everyone is just throwing money around and there's no baseball. They just let the big market teams dominate 100%. That's frustrating. As a Guardians fan and I'm sure you being a Pirate fan it's hard to compete.
Speaker 1:It really is, unless these owners are really going to really gonna like. I know it's crazy to me to think that pittsburgh's a small market team and baseball which because I would think it would be one of the bigger market teams just growing up in that city and knowing that all it's about and everything like that, I mean I understand it, but I don't, I don't get it. But it's just like. You know, at some point you got to see what these other big market teams are doing. It's like, all right, maybe we spend a little bit of money and see what happens. We don't spend all of it and do what they're doing, but let's spend a little bit of money and let's see Can we get to being a little bit more relevant and is this worth it for us? Or do we just like the I bring it back to the old school movie Major League. Just like the I bring it back to the, the old school movie Major League. Do we try to do that with, you know, basically not having the funds to trying to do it and trying to find these unknown rookies that are willing to come in and, you know, work their way through the farm club and come up and and want to work for this, this team in this organization. That's kind of what I think should happen.
Speaker 1:I had a whole episode on here about uh the mlb and that we got into a absolutely super long debate about the money in baseball and it's it's crazy, the money that's in baseball, uh. But it's just to the point now where you know it. It's it's the old adage you got to spend money to make money. You know, I never liked that growing up. Well, if you don't have the money to spend, like, you can't spend the money to make the money. But now you can absolutely spend the money if you didn't find a way, if you don't have it, to then eventually make the money. So you don't have to worry about that. But you know, you went to mentor high school and getting a little bit off track here about uh, you and talking sports, because I could talk about that all day yeah, but mentor was uh, which is one of the biggest high schools in the state of ohio, which, um, is great. So what was it like going to such a massive high school like that?
Speaker 2:well sorry to say this, mike, I don't know where that. I went to kirtland high school, which is really very close to mentor. Kirtland is a small school but I was fully aware of mentor being one of the biggest in the state, uh. But I went to kirtland graduating 88 and we only had like over barely over 100 uh kids in our class and I loved it. You knew everyone. It was a great community and I wouldn't trade it for the world and uh. But yeah, I lived in Mentor for a number of years and and enjoyed that too. You know that was a great experience living in Mentor. But yeah, kirtland High School was I'm a. I'm a Hornet.
Speaker 1:This is why I always need to double check Johnny's facts that he gives me, because he said it was so much confidence to me that I was like, yeah, there's no way this is wrong. There's no way that he was wrong.
Speaker 2:Me and Johnny have definitely talked about that that I went to Kirtland. Oh yeah, kirtland, great football school, and I'm like yeah, so yeah sorry, johnny.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to give him so much hell for that. Just guess that any time I can, I'd like to. It's just in my nature. Sorry about that. So Kirkland, it was a smaller school. I grew up in West Virginia. At the time, brook High School was one of the bigger schools in the state and I still only graduated with like 300 people, so not a huge school, but by West Virginia standards, one of the bigger schools in the state. So I get that, though, because it still was a close-knit community. It was there for you, everybody knew everybody and everybody was pretty much friends with everybody. It was just that kind of tight-knit thing. It was a small school, like what you went through there being a Hornet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah it was. It was great. I mean, like I said, pretty much neighbors with mentors, so fully a mentor thing, and I definitely appreciated going to a smaller school and that was good for me personally, 100%.
Speaker 1:I even went to Bethany College, which was a smaller college, division III, you know. I mean the whole school had a grand total of 900 people and students in it. So I liked it because all of my professors knew my name. They didn't know me as student one, six, five, four, two, three, whatever the number on your id was um, which most of these big universities is. That's what you're. You're known as, uh, from what I've come together. And not only did they know who I was, they knew, uh, that I was a swimmer. Most of them came to support their, their students at the athletic events. And they also knew that everyone called me, uh, mike bono and not michael bonaventura, and they would call me that in class, which I thought was pretty cool, that they knew a nickname for me, um, and that's you know. That's just that. And they were willing to help and they were willing to get to know their students, which I thought was awesome.
Speaker 2:Oh, no doubt about it. Yeah, there's something to be said about that.
Speaker 1:A hundred percent, and you know you, being a proud dad of two kids, I'm hoping he got this right too as well. But they are both Ohio State grads. What was it like sending?
Speaker 2:them and visiting, you know, to such a big university. You know, to me it was really cool because I, you know, going back to the sport thing, I loved Ohio State. I'm a big Ohio State football fan. So when my kids decided, or my son was the first to go there and he, no pressure, didn't say a word to him, he just did his own thing it was so cool when he went there I was able to go to an Ohio State football game with him and it was just a great experience. So, yeah, my kids going there was awesome and you just experienced the whole thing in person, because just growing up being a big Buckeye fan, never went there, saw it on TV, but just getting a firsthand look at it it was really cool and it was a great experience for my kids going to Ohio State. You know, being a big school, they flourished there. It was a good thing for them socially, uh, socially and, you know, academically too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely it's. It's a great university. Um, they have a great football program. I am not personally an Ohio state uh fan by any means. Uh, and it's weird because I live 45 minutes away from the stadium in Ohio, near Columbus, and I am surrounded by Buckeye fans. They can be plain right, they can be. I think that's part of the reason why I'm not the biggest Ohio State fan.
Speaker 1:And you know, growing up in West Virginia, it was always the Mountaineers. For me, that was our big school. That's our Ohio State state, if you will right. Um, and I had some buddies that you know, when wvu went through their little slumps and ohio state really started to flourish and started winning their national championships, they like jump ship and they're like oh, I've been a buckeye fan my entire. I was like no, you, I've known you since we were in diapers. No, you haven't. Like, you know, it was one of those and I think that's what started and it it all stands down to. I'm selfish and there's such a good program and they're so good that it angers me. Um, that's essentially.
Speaker 2:They're a well-oiled machine and it just kind of is frustrating as as a sports fan, to just see a team be just so dominant all the time yeah, they really have a good thing going there and they're good at other sports, of course, but they're definitely known for football and you know they've had their ups and downs. I mean they've had a reputation of not getting a job done against big teams. You know they can do well against the Ten, do good in some bowl games, but when they get to the SEC teams they struggle. I'm still not sold on Ryan Day. I'm not a big fan of his. I'm thrilled that they won the national championship, but if you can't beat Michigan, I'm sorry. That is just a no-no for me.
Speaker 1:That was going to be 100% where I was going to go. Next, when talking about Ryan Day, if you're not beating Michigan, you could win the national championship every year and the city of Columbus will write for your job to be taken. Three years now, I think, three or four years in a row, you lose to Michigan and you still have your job. I know you're winning national championships and that's important. Don't I'm not downplaying that in any way, shape or form, but, being your biggest rival, that, like I.
Speaker 1:I don't watch Ohio state games. I watch that game every year, the Ohio state, michigan, and I don't like either school and I'm I don't care who's on. I'm watching ohio state, michigan, and it's a riveting game. It's always an exciting game and you can't get the job done and it's not, and hasn't been, high scoring games like you're used to seeing in the big 10. Right, it's been close grind them out games and that's says something about a coach, in my opinion, regardless of who you're playing, if you can't win these close, grind amount games, that says something, because when you get into the college football playoff, that they're all going to be these close, grind amount games.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I wanted him out, especially when you had a home game. You had chicken, a pretty much a 500 team on the ropes. You could have just went in there and whacked them and they fell into the trap of what Michigan wanted was in the trenches type game and we had explosive guys on the ends and we just played into their hands and, oh, that was torture. That is one sporting event that I become a different person when I watch Michigan Ohio State and it is agonizing, mike the last, just seeing them lose year after year. I mean I didn't like Harbaugh one bit but I give Harbaugh credit. He figured out the recipe to beat Ohio State. He left and the guy that took over followed suit and yeah, I'm just not a Ryan Day fan and we've got to go there next year. We've got to go there and they've got our number and I don't think we're bringing back the talent that we had. So I don't know if I can watch it, it's.
Speaker 1:It's gonna be tough to watch as an ohio state fan, for sure next year michigan has the recipe. They have the talent coming back, the people that are leaving ohio state. You're losing Will Howard. You're losing who was that that went to the Steelers? As well as Swinsky, the edge rusher, sawyer Sawyer, yeah, sawyer, you're losing him. You're losing all those big receivers. You're losing a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, which is where you've struggled against. Michigan is putting points on the board.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just not crazy about the outlook. I mean they have to get tough in the middle, they've got to get big linemen on both sides and win that battle.
Speaker 1:You've got to play an old school. It's going to be a run it down your throat kind of game. It's not going to be this high flying. You've got to have the stamina, the conditioning and the big boys up front to be able to do it, and I don't think Ohio State's built that way.
Speaker 2:No, no Day's approach is flashy receivers, high scoring games, and does not believe that defense wins championships. And he got lucky. I mean, I'll give him credit. He made a heck of a run. They made an incredible run. I did not think they would do what they did, but it still, to me does not mean as much as losing to Michigan. And you have a true Ohio State fan. You'll take a 6-6 record, beat Michigan, then all the other garbage that you can throw at it. You know you have to beat that team, so, yeah, a hundred percent, a hundred percent.
Speaker 1:As a Mountaineer fan, I know it's a long shot every year for us to even make the playoffs, but now that the backyard brawl is back and we're playing pit if we beat pit, brawl is back and we're playing pit If we beat pit, we could go one in nine or one in whatever, and that one win being against pit, it's a winning season for the mountaineer fans. We beat pit, we beat our biggest rival, the backyard brawl. We can brag about this for a year. Yeah, and that's what true fans are looking for. Yes, the national championships and making the playoffs, and I think the 12 team playoff is going to be. Once they figure out the seating and how that's going to work, I think it's going to flourish. I know there's talks of them expanding it past 16. That's just going to be too much in my opinion. I think 12 is the magic number. I never thought that at first, but now that I kind of see how it played out for a year, I think that's the magic number is 12 teams.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where do you draw the line?
Speaker 1:How many damn teams you want in it. I think I've heard talks of they want to make it like a March madness. I was like that's no, like that's too much for college football.
Speaker 2:Football. For God's sake, it's not basketball. You can play multiple games in a period of time, but football is brutal. You can't have those guys do that to their bodies no, you would have to severely shorten the regular season yeah, they'll be. I mean, these guys are sitting out bowl games. You think they're going to play three, four games for a national championship.
Speaker 1:You know, I mean there's yeah, there's no way no, if I did, like some of these guys, I could possibly be a high first Brown pick in the draft. I'm going to risk getting hurt and dropping to the sixth, seventh God forbid an unsigned free agent, undrafted free agent, and lose out on a lot of money. Like for them, like that's, that's their livelihood, that's their career Absolutely, you know so. I as a fan. It frustrates me to see players sit out of ball games. But, as you know, the sports broadcaster in me that you know, seeing the job and wanting to go into that as that aspect of it, I get it. You have a chance to make millions upon millions of dollars playing the game that you love, that you've been playing since you were eight years old. Yeah, I'm going to make sure I can do everything I can to be in the draft and relevant.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree with that. It's hard to say. As time went on, I understood that decision. As a fan, you want to see him play. But yeah, I agree, you got to go for it. You can't risk injuries too much 100%.
Speaker 1:I mean you can kind of understand. I mean you've worked at the same company again for around 35 years, which is incredible to think anymore that somebody's worked at a career that long. You know, tell us about your job and your longevity at that company.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm a visual dimensional inspector at CRT, component Repair Technologies, and boy, it's been a heck of a journey. When I was in high school no direction. I went to community college. I really had no vision of what I wanted to do and I was working for a landscape company. My cousin worked at CRT and he told me that they were hiring and I was like all right, why not? And it was a shock to the system being in a factory. You know, in those days it was like a factory Uh. But once the light went on and I figured things out, the rest is history and it's been great.
Speaker 2:Uh, I did other departments leading up to being a visual dimensional inspector and probably going on, 25 of those 33 years has been an inspector and it's just a great position because it's clean, overall, temperature controlled and you just get the whole look of the parts that we work on. We overhaul jet engine parts for major airlines and it's just a great experience. Good people to work around and you learn a lot. Good people to work around and you learn a lot. And yeah, I, it's hard to believe. Time does fly, as you know. People say you it's blink of an eye, you can't believe where you're at. But yeah, overall the experience has been great and yeah, longevity is is not the norm. Now People are chasing, you know, chasing whatever they can get. They'll leave a job for a couple bucks just to jump ship. I've been loyal and it's been worth it At my age. Now I'm not going anywhere, but CRT has been good to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I said, it's incredible to think somebody's been at a place that long Because, like you know, like I said, it's incredible to think somebody's been, you know, at a place that long Because, like you said, everyone they kind of like jump ship, they're chasing the buck, if you will. Yeah, I know I got a good thing going here, but if I go here I can make two more dollars an hour and you know that's significant enough to them to to move and start over and be at the bottom of the totem pole again somewhere else and try to. You just don't see people willing to work their way up into a company. Right now I get.
Speaker 1:I've been doing comedy 13 years. That's not a traditional nine to five, you know, like clocking in at a place, this that is all on me. I don't have a boss to answer to. I don't have a record label, an agent, a manager, anything like that to answer to. It is just me. So I I think that's a little different in that you know, um, I I've been with a company. Now, um, again, I'm on this show.
Speaker 1:I don't say their names, but it is a rental car company that I've been with and looking back it's like, oh, my God, I've almost been there a year and I feel like I just started and it's like, oh, august makes a year that I've been with a company. So when you say time flies, it absolutely does, yes, you don't realize how long you've been at a place until you actually sit and think like, oh wow, I have been there this long, yeah, and I don't think about it. So like even you know, customers ask me oh, how long have you been here? And it's like, oh, I've been here almost a year now, yeah, to think about it. Almost a year now to think about it. But I think when you like a job and you like what you're doing as that job, the time just doesn't seem to matter. Like you said, you don't realize how long you've been at a place if you enjoy what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Right Yep, that's so important. If you enjoy what you're doing, right? Yep, that's so important. Yeah, yeah, you, you have to be able to get up every day and and not dread going in.
Speaker 1:you, you, you have to have a good outlook on things and yeah, yeah, and that's probably not too present these days I really don't think it is um, and as hypocritical as this is for me to say, being that you know my other job being a comedian and social media being kind of king for that, I think I blame social media for that. With the rise of that and all these quote unquote content creators getting paid to make social media content, I think it has infected a little bit of the younger generation. Like, oh, I'll just do that, like it's that easy to just push a button and all of a sudden you're famous. Yeah, if it were, I wouldn't have a day job, I'd be doing comedy full time If it was that easy. But 13 years later and I'm still pushing that button, trying to get it to work. So it's still work.
Speaker 1:I don't discount what these people do to have to come up with creative ideas day in and day out. As a comedian, I get it. I mean, I'm constantly, forever looking for new material and to come up with that on a daily basis. It's tough. You have to have a different mindset and I don't got to be able to do that. And people look at me all the time.
Speaker 1:I'm like, where do you come up with material? And it's just like I. I get that question a lot. Uh, luckily I have a 16 year old son who is hysterical and some of the stuff that he does, uh, so that's a big help, uh, being a father for sure, yeah, um, and it's just, you know, some of the time it's like I just live my daily life and then I get on stage and I report it and I hope to God. It's funny some of the times, and for the most part it has been for the past 13 years. So I'm kind of a one trick pony in that and I'm sticking with that mentality and rolling with it until it doesn't work anymore.
Speaker 2:That is a long time. That is a long time to be doing that, because, yeah, you have to be careful nowadays what you say on stage.
Speaker 1:That's the biggest thing. Now. That's the hardest thing Is you know you have to toe that line and as a comedian you've got to know when you've crossed it, but a lot of times you don't, until you're getting that big laugh and then you say one more thing and then the crowd goes silent. Yeah, it's like, okay, there's the line, there it is, that's. I hope I don't get canceled for that part of it, but everything else was funny up until then. Uh, that's the. That's the biggest fear for comedians is the cancel culture out there. It's still happening. There's still people that get upset over everything.
Speaker 1:I don't understand it, because I grew up in a very big, large Italian family and it was a blue-coll of family too. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father were all steel mill workers, so I grew up in that. But also, if you weren't going along with the jokes that were happening in the family, you were the joke and you were going to like either get a thicker skin and not be offended by it and start to go along with it, have fun, or you were crying like. That was like essentially it, because we always crack jokes with everybody. I still crack jokes with my father all the time.
Speaker 1:Every time I call him and you know I see him all the time now, uh, he's, he shaved his head, uh, because he was losing his hair. Every time I see him I rub his head and I say I need a little bit of luck. And I rub his head yeah, like that's the kind of family I grew up in. We rag on each other and I think it's helped. I guess my generation, if you will have that thicker skin, but I don't think we're getting that anywhere else.
Speaker 2:No, no. And I mean geez, oh man, why would you go to a comedy show if you're not prepared to hear something a little bit off edge? You know you, to make people laugh you have to challenge a little bit. You got to go with what's going on in the world and everyday topics. I mean you have to laugh a little bit. Jeez, everyone's so uptight but yeah.
Speaker 1:I think if people just laughed more, we would be a much happier society.
Speaker 2:No doubt about it, jeez.
Speaker 1:And I love it. I do when I'm at a show and I do, I guess, quote unquote a controversial joke that somebody gets offended at, and then they want to scream up on stage like they're going to ruin my act. It's just like okay, I understand. You are 100% entitled to your opinion and your feelings. Here's the thing. I'm a comedian, I'm joking and you just interrupted me at doing my job. I have a microphone.
Speaker 1:You were all in proximity to this speaker system and I'm going to ruin your night now, like now, you've just made it my personal goal because everyone else is laughing, but you, you're ruining it for everybody else here. Now I'm going to ruin your night. I'm going to push that button until you leave because you're not going to enjoy the show. That's me as a comedian. Everyone else normally gets an even bigger laugh at it, because what people realize these hecklers don't realize is when they're heckling and everyone else is laughing, they're ruining the show for everybody else. So when the comedian starts to hone in on that person and pick on them and heckle back at them, the crowd loves it, because now we're finding out the problem and they love to hear somebody that is trying to ruin it for everybody else. Get it ruined for just them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're weeding out the trouble. Get them out and enjoy the rest of the show. Do your thing.
Speaker 1:The nice thing is when you work these comedy clubs, there is somebody that stands in the back of the show, do your thing. The nice thing is is when you work these comedy clubs like there is somebody that stands in the back of the room who their sole job I mean it is security, like they will give you a look up on stage and you can just be like, yeah, okay, I've had enough, get them out and they'll remove them. It's nice to have that now, where I'm at still considered being an up and coming comedian, I don't have that all the time, so I just have to do what I do and just make it so unbearable for them that they just leave and everyone else enjoys it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good for you, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:It's funny because I got dubbed the angry white comic 13 years ago by a buddy of mine who was hosting open mic nights, which is where I got my start, and I would just go on like these long filled rants on stage about my day and working in customer service and the people that I've dealt with and some of the stupid questions that I would get asked on a daily basis, and he dubbed me the angry white comic and, lo and behold, 13 years later, I'm still known as the angry white comic. So, yeah, you're going to a show where the guy is known as that and you think it's going to end well for you. It's really not. I promise you it's not going to ruin your night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you buy a ticket, you should have some awareness of who you're seeing and what their reputation is.
Speaker 1:100% yeah 100%, and I have this show here which is why it's called Ride Home Rants, because I go on rants and it is heard by over 16,000 people in over 60 countries Like if you don't know by now who you're buying a ticket for, this is your fault. Absolutely Shame on you. Yeah, this is 100% your fault. I take no blame for this at all and I I hope I at that point, I hope I ruined your night, right, I hope I did man, good for you with the audience.
Speaker 2:You have a nice audience there, mike.
Speaker 1:Thank you, man. I appreciate it. It's been five years of working at this show here. Now In December makes a full five years for us. We are in the fifth season of the show, so it is.
Speaker 1:It has been a work in progress, but I love every minute of this and this podcast and everything like that. I never thought I'd be the podcast guy either, but, lo and behold, covid taught me a lot about what needs to happen, uh, in the realm of comedy and everything like that, and I never thought. I thought honestly, I'll give it a try, I'll probably put out like two episodes and that get bored with it and then just it won't do what I think it's gonna do and I will just call it quits and focus my energy on something else. And no, I dive full-fledged into this and I love it. That's awesome. Good for you. Thank you, man. Appreciate that I didn't mention too. You know, being from a big, you know, italian family, though you, your family's from Scotland and you actually recently had, you know, a chance to visit there a few times. You know what what's Scotland like? I've never really been out of the country, so I always love to hear everybody's takes on what it's like in other countries.
Speaker 2:It is incredible scenery and just going there. I've been there twice and the last time I went was last summer with my kids Just incredible was last summer with my kids, just incredible. Just, I have so much family out there because my parents came over in 62 63. They came over to the United States so they were one of the few that came over, so just knowing that I have so much family over there makes that trip so much easier. And but a lot to see. The scenery is beautiful the highlands, the, the bodies of water, just incredible. And yeah, we were out there last year for over a week and saw so much, saw, saw the. And yeah, just amazing to think you know what my parents sacrificed to come over to the United States and I appreciate that and I hope to go over there several more times just to see more. There's so much to see out there. The history there is amazing and incredible trip.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, um, I like it. It's been a bucket list for my wife and I. She's full Irish, I'm full Italian. We want to visit Italy and Ireland at some point in our lives.
Speaker 2:Got to do it, Mike. I mean, yeah, that has been a. Dublin. You can go right in Dublin with Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus is right in the the dublin and, yeah, I'd recommend it, mike yeah, 100.
Speaker 1:It is like I said. It is on our our bucket list of things to do. The only problem with that is right now is my wife is like she always dives into to the culture. Uh, for you know the irish and you know italian now bearing an italian seeing my family and that she's afraid that if she goes to ireland she's never going to want to come back. Uh, that's the problem with her once she gets to the homeland, she's never going to want to come back. And I get it. It looks beautiful, I would love to see it. Um, and I kind of have the same fear about italy. Like I'm going to get there and I'm just going to love it so much that it's like I just live here now.
Speaker 2:This is not going home. Yeah, so affordable. You hear about people buying properties out in Italy for so little. It's amazing. I mean, yeah, yeah, so much to see in Italy. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you will get there someday yeah, I hope we do.
Speaker 1:Um, for sure, it is one of, like, the top thing on, like, if we don't do anything else on our bucket list, this is the one thing that we are doing, um, no matter what we have to do, so, uh, it will happen. You know, I'm very big into speaking things into existence, uh. So, yeah, I keep just saying, yeah, it's not if we go, it's when we go, uh, so that's where I'm at with that uh. But yeah, I've always, always wanted to visit, uh, those countries at all, and especially because I know I still have family over there, and looking at my ancestry, knowing that I am, you know, sicilian Visiting there and knowing that I have family there is, is a big thing for me, and wanting to go and essentially find them where they actually live at in Sicily, I think would just be a cool journey.
Speaker 2:Oh, and they'll show you everything. I'm sure they will be so accommodating you'll. You'll love the experience, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1:100 yeah, I can't, I can't wait to to to make it happen there. Um for sure, um, have you been in like I mean, when you just visited um scot, there weren't like any like concerts there, because I've heard you've been to a couple of, you know, concerts that had different venues. You know, over the years, you know, has there been any artists that you've seen, either whether it's in the States or outside the country? You know that, that you've been at and you know want to, that had a great experience at, or any special venues or anything like that want to that had a great experience at or any special venues or anything like that.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, when I went to europe, I we went to london, we went to scotland and we went to france. That was the first venture and then the last time we went it was just scotland and we went to liverpool, but uh, no big events. Uh, yeah, it was just strictly. One time was with crt. I did go to france at crt and that was really awesome to to do that because that was just strictly france and we got to see some sites and did the work thing as a good balance. But yeah, no, no big events out there, but just the history and the scenery was just incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure. Um, definitely love that, and you know that you get those opportunities, especially even even though it's a work trip. You know, I know they like OK, we're in France, like this is a work trip, but people are going to want to see some sites. They're going to want to, you know, venture around a little bit. We can't make it all about work, get the work done and then be able to have fun.
Speaker 2:I think that's amazing the work done and then be able to have fun. I think that's amazing. Yeah, for sure, rider cup. I missed a rider cup was when I went to france at work. The rider cup already, uh, went on and of course, the united states lost, as they usually do on forums, uh, but it was. That was cool. I actually we were so close to the course, we actually did walk around the course and I took some pictures of that because that would have been a great experience to that yeah, you know you.
Speaker 1:I hear you're a big golf guy. Uh, too, as well. Um, you know, is that one of the favorite courses that you visited or even got to play at? Or do you have a favorite course that that you visited or played at?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, being from Scotland, my family being from Scotland, st Andrews was the birthplace of golf. When we did go in July, we went to St Andrews and took a picture on the the bridge. That was phenomenal. I did see the Ry cup in kentucky. That was on us oil and that was outstanding. That was, uh, a victory for united states. So yeah, I do love golf. The masters to me is, you know, through years I have just grown an affection for the Masters. I will take that over any sporting event. I can watch the Masters from start to finish. I love golf. I mean, football now to me is not that big of a deal, since the Browns are so bad, you know, kind of transitioned in the golf. But yeah, I love the masters. You know I used to play golf. I don't do it as much as I used to, but I follow it. Yeah, the the masters is awesome and, uh, just outstanding to see that in person. The Ryder Cup is so intense.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, the Masters is probably one of the only golf tournaments that I will watch from start to finish and follow from start to finish. I'll catch the last couple days of most of the tournaments just to kind of see where everybody's at. I like golf. Wish I could get out and play more. Schedule doesn't quite allow me. But big golf guy here too as well. Actually, two of the sponsors of my show are golf related, which I think is phenomenal Everybody. So Shank it to Golf for everybody.
Speaker 1:The newer listeners out there, check them out for sure, because they have a lot of great golf apparel. They are golf apparel for the everyday person. You're not going to go out and shoot a six under par. You're probably going to shoot a six over par. You're probably going to shoot a six over par, but you're going to look good while you're doing it. I can tell you, I can promise you, that the fits are phenomenal there. One of my buddies has his own golf line and golf glove line. That he does too as well. And Matt Lando Landowski and Sweet Hand Sports. Check both of them out. You'll find all the links in the description of this episode too as well. Promo codes will be there. Save you some money too as well.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I love everything about golf and I noticed, like you said, as I'm getting older I'm drawn more to golf. I don't know if that's just like a part of getting older as a man you just get more and more drawn to golf and just a calming, relaxing sport and being able to something to follow where it's not a lot of high energy. I don't want to say it's not high energy because it has its moments, want to say I don't want to say it's not high energy because it has its moments, but it's not like football, where there's action all the time and people are just getting taken out where all the time it's. It's a nice change of pace, I think for most people it yeah, I, I enjoy golf just because you're on your own.
Speaker 2:You have no support. It is all up to you are hitting a ball that is not moving and yeah, there's, it's not a team game, besides a Ryder cup, obviously, but still, ultimately you are on your own with that. But yeah I, just golf. To me is is just so special. I used to enjoy it. I hope to get back into it, but I follow it and it's. It's definitely so relaxing if you take that approach. There's so much to see beautiful courses out there.
Speaker 1:A hundred percent. I would love to get to more courses than the ones I've I've I've been to. But yeah, like I said, golf is it's just. It's like you said, it's relaxing, but it is it's just you out there, and I think, growing up as a competitive swimmer too as well, that that kind of. I kind of relate to that a little bit more, because it was just me in the pool. I know, obviously, relays, like you said, with the Ryder Cup, relays were a team, but at the end of the day you're the one in the water and there's no one there to help you, right? So I kind of think that that helps me a lot with golf too as well. And I don't know if we have enough time on the show to talk about that in sports all day long, because I just looked at how long we've been talking here.
Speaker 1:John, we are running down near the end of the episode here and I have one more segment I got to get in before we get off of here and for the new listeners out there, that is the Fast Fitty Five. It is five random questions from the wonderful manager of the podcast, johnny Fitty Falcone. John, I know you know Johnny pretty well. I don't know if you've gotten personally to hear some of the random questions that he comes up with on a daily basis, but these are kind of rapid fire. You can elaborate if you need to. They have nothing to do with what we've been talking about for the better part of an hour now. So if you are ready, we'll go ahead and do the Fast 55. Let's do it, all righty. Question number one is Las Vegas overrated or underrated?
Speaker 2:or underrated. Oh God, Vegas is awesome. I love Vegas. It's not overrated, underrated. It's good shit, man.
Speaker 1:So you're saying it's perfect as is. Yeah, perfect. Question number two Should every house have a shed, or is a big garage good enough?
Speaker 2:I would lean towards a big garage. Good enough, I would lean towards a bigger garage.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm a garage guy myself. I wish I had one now. I don't Garage. You can't go wrong with a good big garage. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Question Any more structures than you need?
Speaker 1:100% Question number three is Tom Any more structures than you need A hundred percent. Question number three is Tom Hanks or Al Pacino a better actor?
Speaker 2:Boy.
Speaker 1:That's a tough one.
Speaker 2:Tom Hanks is pretty damn good. But I thank God we have not gone political. But Tom Hanks is a little lower on my list based on recent news stories, but I would still go, tom Hanks.
Speaker 1:I get it. The inner Paisan in me can't go against Pacino, but it's a very close one for me, just strictly on acting. Oh God, that's a coin flip for me, honestly, with both of those two. Yeah, question number four oh Lord, who's the Browns' best quarterback of all time?
Speaker 2:Otto Graham No-brainer to me, yeah, that's. I mean, come on now. Never saw him all but Otto Graham. Championships is all. It's all about championships.
Speaker 1:A hundred percent. And last question here are propane or charcoal grills better?
Speaker 2:Damn, I'm lazy so I'd go with propane, but I know a burger tastes a hell of a lot better with charcoal.
Speaker 1:You're not wrong, I've had both. I've gotten lazy. I have a propane grill now. Propane's quick, it's easier than charcoal. But you're right, nothing tastes better than when you get that charcoal flavor to it. I'd have to go charcoal, but the laziness in me honestly is propane for that one.
Speaker 1:But that was the Fast 55. Like I said, he was a little bit more mild of questions than what we normally get from Johnny. On that he comes up with some real zingers and they none of them make sense. I've been getting this since I've known him since college and I've been getting these questions literally since college and normally it's he has.
Speaker 1:Like he comes up with these weird scenario type questions Like all right, you're locked into racquetball court, it's you Batman, a gorilla and Conor McGregor. You have a racquetball set of road flares and a boxing glove who comes out alive. Like those are the types of things that run through this man's head and he would ask me them all the time, like he would just text me these random questions. And one day I was just like, hey, man, what if we just made a segment on the show where literally we'll call it the fast 55, we'll make it rapid fire, but it's literally your questions, that you ask on a daily basis and and we'll ask the guest these questions. He was like oh my God, I love that idea. And lo and behold, we've been doing it for four years now. He keeps coming up with new questions every single week, and I love it.
Speaker 2:Well, I can thank Johnny. That was not too difficult, but still made me think a little bit so good.
Speaker 1:We like to give a little bit of brain teasers near the end of the show and have a fun way to end the show. But, john, like I said, we are running down near the end of the episode and I do give every guest this opportunity at the end of the show. Opportunity at the end of the show If there's anything you want to get out there, if there's anything you want to promote, whether it's your work or even if it's just a good message to get out there. I'm going to give you about a minute and the floor is yours.
Speaker 2:Wow, mike, I was not prepared for that. I really had a great time on the show. I didn't know what to expect. I mean, I had somewhat of an idea what to expect, but it's been a great experience. You asked great questions, you know. You know you got to approach life and in a good way, a positive way. Take things as they happen and learn from it, grow from it. And I think I'm rambling on, I don't know if you want to edit this part, but I mean, I mean, I've had a great time talking with you, it's been a great experience and, uh, you made it real easy for me. So I appreciate that, mike, and uh, you know, I hope all your guests feel the same way not a problem, man, we appreciate having you on.
Speaker 1:Uh, we definitely was. It was great to talk to you, uh, for sure, and get the basically shoot the shit with you for about an hour here. It's pretty easy when you've got two sports fans and you can kind of dive into that world and make it easy for sure. I love getting to talk to new people and getting to meet them and see what they have. I do like the message that you gave there at the end of the day, because at the end of the day you know positivity and you know just attacking life in a positive way can only make things better. And failure it does not mean you lost, it just means you learned something is what I take from the message. And you learn every day and if you learn something new, then good for you. You made, you made the day great because you learned something new, and that's the way I think and I wish a lot of people had that mentality and I'm glad you mentioned it too, especially at the end of the show.
Speaker 1:I'm all about helping people promote things, but when they have a good message to end the show, I love that even more. When they have a good message to end the show. I love that even more, but that is actually going to do it here for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. Again, I want to thank my guest, john Middleton, for joining the show. Again, a lot of fun to get to talk to you and get to learn a little bit more about you and, as always, if you enjoyed the show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't tell them anyways, they might like it just because you didn't. That's going to do it for me and I will see y'all next week.
