Rick is joined by Brian Farrell, Big Green Egg Sales Manager, this week.
Big Green Egg is the world’s leading manufacturer of the premier ceramic outdoor cooking system, renowned for its durability, passionate customer base, and exceptional culinary results. From humble beginnings in a single store in Atlanta, it has expanded to a global live-fire cooking phenomenon in over fifty countries. Ideal for both home cooks and culinary enthusiasts, The Big Green Egg is the top choice worldwide because of its commitment to eco-friendly live-fire cooking with 100% all-natural lump charcoal.  For more information, visit www.BigGreenEgg.com.
Brian talks with Rick about new accessories and where Big Green Egg is going.
Notes:
Experience live-fire flavor with the Big Green Egg Large Rotisserie. Compatible with your Large Egg, the Rotisserie transforms your Egg into a self-basting, hands-free roaster, delivering crispy, juicy, and evenly cooked meats with rich, live-fire flavor. Made from premium marine-grade stainless steel, this accessory ensures juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked meats every time.
Experience It Lid-Open or Lid-Closed: Invite your guests to experience the joy of cooking over live-fire with the Rotisserie. When enjoying a lid-open Rotisserie experience, keep draft door & rEGGulator closed and use less charcoal.

 

Great to be joined by Theresa Steven of VisitScotland this week. Direct from the VisitScotland exhibit at IMEX in Las Vegas.
Scotland is a great destination for sports and outdoors enthusiasts and fans.
Scotland doesn’t need much introduction. It’s a country steeped in traditions and history, yet firmly rooted in the modern age. It’s a land of majestic munroes and dramatic landscapes, often within easy reach of vibrant cities. At every turn, you’ll find myths and legends (if you know where to look) alongside centres of innovation, sustainable business practices, cutting-edge science and technology, and some of the world’s most respected academic institutions.
Planning a conference, incentive trip, or business meeting?
Maybe want to play historic golf courses or just explore?
They had12 incredible partners on stand E1705 at IMEX, showcasing what makes Scotland a standout destination for business events:
2B UK DMC Scotland
Cameron House
Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC)
Horizons Scotland by Tour Partner Group
Limitless DMC
Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort
Marine and Lawn
Scottish Event Campus (SEC)
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh
The Gleneagles Hotel
The Hoxton, Edinburgh
W Edinburgh
Our team will also deliver Destination Presentations throughout the show, ideal for gaining an overview of what Scotland offers MICE groups. Alongside engaging on-stand activities, you’ll also learn how hosting your event in Scotland can create meaningful legacies and memorable experiences for both you and your delegates.
Thanks to Theresa for coming on and the entire VisitScotland team.

Rick talks to Naomi J. Brown, MD, pediatric sports medicine specialist about injuries in youth sports.
While playing sports can be important for both physical and mental health, injuries are bound to happen, landing millions of young athletes in the ER each year. Contact and collision sports like football, basketball, hockey and soccer often cause injuries, but so can other sports like baseball, gymnastics, bicycling and even ballet.
Experts say establishing a healthy training routine is the key to preventing most injuries. This includes stretching and cooling down, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. Experts also say it’s important to avoid comparison, as every child is different in terms of growth, muscle strength and bone density.
Topics:
How common are injuries in young athletes?
What are the most common types of injuries you see?
What can children and teens do to prevent injury?
When it comes to sports injuries, what’s the best option for treatment – an ER, urgent care or pediatrician’s office?
Where can we go to learn more?
Naomi J. Brown, MD, is a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) focusing on sports injury prevention, overuse injuries and pain management. Her areas of expertise are dance medicine, hypermobility, injury prevention, pediatric injuries, pediatric sports medicine, repetitive strain injuries, skiing and snowboarding injuries and sports injuries.

Great to catch up with Richard Terry of Inspired at G2E.
A lot going in with Inspired in sports.
Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (“Inspired” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: INSE), a leading provider of B2B gaming content and systems, is set to showcase its latest advancements at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). The Company is excited to highlight how Inspired’s content drives opportunities and success for operators across its diverse digital and retail portfolio.
One of the highlights includes Inspired’s proven Hybrid Dealer® line, which innovatively combines live dealer elements with RNG efficiency. This solution eliminates the need for physical studios by utilizing CGI, green screens, and authentic footage to create a seamless, captivating experience. Inspired has launched this pioneering line with numerous operators, including BetMGM with MGM Bonus City™, Caesars Entertainment with Caesars Palace Wheel of Wins™, and more recently, FanDuel with FanDuel Tailgate Takeover™, a football-themed Hybrid Dealer game. The portfolio, customer base, and geographic reach are expanding rapidly, demonstrating strong market momentum.
Building on this momentum, Virtual Sports takes a leap forward with the unveiling of Soccer 3.6™. This new release introduces Bet Builder™ mechanics that offer customized, multi-outcome wagers, enhancing interactivity. At the same time, Inspired broadens the scope of Virtuals, with differentiated content designed for both retail and online audiences, such as Fortune Flyer™, a fast-paced, crash-inspired racing game. Fortune Flyer provides multiple betting opportunities, quicker event cycles, and a broader range of volatility.
Delivering across multiple segments, Inspired’s Valiant™ cabinet continues to outperform with fun, engaging games featuring graphics, mechanics, and math profiles specifically tailored to resonate with North American players. One of the most anticipated games on display at G2E is Jaguar Gems™, which embodies the “familiar but fresh” philosophy by taking Wild Mighty Tembo™, a player favorite, and enhancing gameplay with pseudo-persistence, a feature that maintains game state across sessions. Additionally, seasonal titles will be introduced, promising to put everyone in a festive mood.
Central to Inspired’s diverse portfolio is its omni-channel content, which ensures seamless engagement across digital and retail platforms. At G2E, the Company will showcase the breadth of its iGaming lineup, highlighting high-performing franchises, seasonal slots, and innovative features.
Among the key titles is Wolf It Up! Again™, from the popular Wolf It Up!™ franchise, which continues to grow in strength and brand appeal across North America. Seasonal titles such as Werewolf It Up! ™ (arriving in time for Halloween) and Wolf It Up! Christmas™ will also be introduced, emphasizing Inspired’s commitment to seasonal and engaging content.
In addition, another key iGaming reveal is Gold Cash Free Spins Super Wheel™, which features a new multiplayer persistence mechanic called Player Link™ (US patent application no. 63/880). This industry-first mechanic allows players on the same stake to share a single Super Wheel across all games, along with a never-before-seen bonus game, further demonstrating Inspired’s innovation in creating engaging, player-centric experiences.
Additional information can be found at www.inseinc.com.

Rick is joined by junior tennis player and PPA Pickleball player, Chloe Zigliara of Georgia.
Chloe is a top junior tennis player and is being recruited by top colleges. She is also dabbling and experiencing success in Pickleball.
Tough decisions ahead, but Chloe is doing it the right was and was a delight to talk to at a Pickleball event in Las Vegas.
Listen and learn more about Chloe’s journey.

Sports and bad weather don’t mix.
Rick is joined this week:
DR. IAN GIAMMANCO; Lead Research Meteorologist, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
MICHAEL RICHMOND-CRUM; Senior Director of Personal Lines & Counsel, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)

 
 
 
The U.S. is entering the most active part of hurricane season, which typically begins to peak between mid-August and mid-October. Now is the time to strengthen your property to limit potential damage and check your insurance coverage to make sure you are financially prepared if a storm damages your property.
Natural disasters in recent years have caused billions of dollars in damage, which is a key reason why insurance costs have risen. To help ease the cost of insurance long-term, it is critical to increase the resiliency of homes and communities and reduce costly damage from severe weather. Costs to repair and rebuild homes and businesses after a natural disaster have risen significantly due to inflation. In the last five years, the cost of construction labor has increased 36.3 percent while the cost of building materials are up 42.7 percent. Homeowners should take time to review their insurance policy and verify with their insurer or agent that their coverage is keeping pace with these cost increases to help prevent being underinsured after a disaster.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) researches ways to strengthen buildings from severe weather and wildfire. The nonprofit provides property owners with science-backed guidance to prepare buildings to better withstand a severe weather event and helps inform future building codes to make our homes and businesses stronger. Adopted and enforced modern building codes are critical to improving resilience against storms.
With an active hurricane season expected, now is the time for homeowners to understand the risk of their community and evaluate ways they can reduce the potential for damage to their home if disaster strikes. In this segment, Dr. Ian Giammanco and Michael Richmond-Crum will be available to offer tips to guide property owners as they prepare for a potentially active peak hurricane season, including:
Upgrading to a FORTIFIED roof the next time you re-roof. This beyond-code standard will help keep your roof deck attached to your roof structure by using things like 8D ring shank nails that increase the uplift strength of your roof. A FORTIFIED roof will also keep you covered in the event that high winds blow off your shingles and underlayment, which exposes cracks in your roof deck and allows heavy rain to enter into your home. With a FORTIFIED roof, those cracks will be covered with flashing tape that IBHS research shows will keep up to 95% of water out of your home.
IBHS’s Roofing Roadmaps is a first-of-its kind tool to educate homeowners about the expected performance of roof covers, including asphalt shingle, metal and tile roofing systems, in relation to where they live and the natural hazards they face. (Roof 101) (Hazard 101)
The garage door is the largest opening in your home, which means it’s also susceptible to damaging winds that can cause it to fail, allowing wind to rush into the open garage pushing up on the roof and out on walls, much like a balloon, causing structural damage. Install a wind-rated garage door to prevent this.
When windows and doors are broken by flying debris, wind pressures can enter your home and push on your house from the inside out like a balloon, leading to structural damage. Installing impact-rated windows and doors that can withstand impacts from flying debris will help prevent this.. Alternatively, installing storm shutters over your windows can also help protect them from flying debris, keeping wind and water out.
Low-cost ways to strengthen your property to reduce potential damage.

Rick catches up with former pro boxer, Tony Jeffries this week.
As an amateur, he won the light-heavyweight bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. In 2012, Jeffries was forced to retire due to hand injuries. He has since become a YouTuber who began posting boxing tutorials in 2007; he has amassed millions of followers.
He began to box at the age of ten, inspired by his uncle William Young “Billy” Bryce, a former professional boxer. He joined Sunderland Amateur Boxing Club, and in 1999 won the School Boys’ Championships, gold in the European Cadets (U17) in 2001 and won the juniors of the 2003 YMCA International Cup in New Delhi. He was also a semifinalist in the 2003 Junior Brandenburg Cup and 2003 European Junior Championships in Warsaw.
In addition to his success on social media platforms, Tony now owns and works at Box ‘N Burn boxing gym in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, with Kentucky fitness expert Kevan Watson.\

Rick is joined by a rising star of the PPA (Pickleball) Tour this week.
Meggan William, the top player from the island of St. Lucia.
Meggan is a graduate from the University of Charleston (WV) with a degree in Exercise Science, looking to pursue a Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy post graduation.
The resident of Las Vegas played on the Charleston tennis team and now is one of the many players making the transition to Pickleball. For Meggan, it’s on the professional level. With some good results in 2025, Meggan now has a world ranking. She has her eyes on the Olympics if and when Pickleball becomes and Olympic sport.
She’s traveling the country picking up valuable ranking points and watching her ranking move. Meggan wants everyone to know how hard this is and how dedicated you have to be. Pickleball may be a relatively new sport, but it’s ultra competitive.
Have a listen to Meggan and her journey from college tennis to pro pickleball.

Rick talks with Joe Pyfer, UFC fighter this week.
He’s rising up the UFC ranks.
Raised in Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey, Pyfer attended Arthur P. Schalick High School and started competing on the school’s wrestling team in tenth grade, where he was able to apply jiu jitsu and judo skills he learned as a child.
Pyfer made his professional MMA debut in his home town of Philadelphia in May 2018. He won his debut and competed seven more times and went 7–1, winning the AOWCF and ROC Middleweight Championship along the way. Eight fights into his MMA career, Pyfer would have his first bout in the Dana White’s Contender Series.
He currently boasts a 14-3 record.
Pyfer is scheduled to face Abusupiyan Magomedov on October 4, 2025 at UFC 320.

Rick is joined by Ali Garawi this week.
Ali Garawi is a seasoned entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and CEO of Muha Meds, Dialed Moods, and Dialed Labs, each contributing to advancing innovation across industries.
Born and raised in Downey, California, Ali is one of five children in a first-generation Iraqi-American family. He majored in Business Finance at Cal State Long Beach and displayed entrepreneurial talent early on, launching an e-commerce brand.
Hear what’s in if for you and how this is a passion of Ali.

 

Rick and guests.

Rick is talking tennis tech this week.
Discover the most advanced tennis ball machine, and the only autonomous ball collector – powered by AI.
With Haitham Eletrabi, CEO of Tennibot.
What to expect:
Use Tennibot gear individually or as an integrated system.
Automate drills and collect balls hands-free – all powered by AI.
Tennibot mobile app interface for controlling tennis ball machines and collectors
Shared interface and app integration
Control all devices from one intuitive mobile app
Tennibot mobile app interface for controlling tennis ball machines and collectors
Works with all standard tennis courts
Easy setup on any court surface or configuration
Tennibot mobile app interface for controlling tennis ball machines and collectors
Built for All Courts and Conditions
Engineered to perform indoors or outdoors, with a durable design.
See more at: https://www.tennibot.com/tennis/

Rick is joined by Kameryn Stanhouse, Vice President, Sports & Entertainment Partnerships, IBM to talk about IBM and the US Open.
Technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling fans around the world to have new immersive experiences of their favorite sport and players. How are these cutting-edge technologies impacting sports, and bettering the fan experience, and how is IBM working with sports organizations to digitally transform these experiences? New for this year, IBM is introducing AI-powered fan experiences for tennis fans, in partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which hosts the US Open.
At the end of this month, the US Open tennis tournament kick offs. For over 30 years, IBM has worked closely as the technology partner of the USTA to elevate the digital and fan experience for US Open. This year, new technology solutions will be introduced to enhance the fan experience at the 2025 US Open, including an interactive AI assistant to answer questions about all 254 singles matches, near live Likelihood to Win probabilities for all singles matches and AI generated quick summaries of articles, match recaps and more.
Match Chat: an interactive AI assistant available during and after all 254 singles matches. Using IBM agents and LLMs, Match Chat analyzes real-time match data to instantly answer fans’ questions on topics such as player stats, head-to-head records, match insights and even player name pronunciations.
Live Likelihood to Win: launched in 2021, IBM’s Likelihood to Win will now update in near real-time throughout matches to offer fans live win probabilities. The projections come from a comprehensive, AI-powered analysis of player statistics, expert opinion and match momentum.
Key Points built with watsonx: for the first time, fans can now receive a “TL:DR” for all articles and match analysis on the US Open app and website. By clicking a button at the top of an article page, LLMs on IBM watsonx including IBM Granite will turn the page article into an instant, three-bullet summary.
IBM has a long history of delivering next-generation digital experiences for some of the world’s most revered sports and entertainment events and venues. IBM’s sports partnerships are centered around engaging with fans digitally, and utilizing data in new ways, with the same AI, hybrid cloud and security technology leveraged by IBM enterprise clients. Kameryn Stanhouse, who leads the team who oversees IBM’s global sponsorship portfolio and IBM’s work with sports tournaments and organizations, will be available for interviews ahead of the 2025 US Open tennis tournament. She can share more information about the work IBM is doing with sports including how new technologies are impacting the fan experience, examples of IBM’s partnerships with major sporting events, and the future of sports, as IBM sees it.
Topics:
What are fans looking for in the future of sports?
How is artificial intelligence changing the sports viewing experience for fans?
How did IBM work with the USTA to bring the tournament to life this year?
What other sports partnerships does IBM have and how can fans see this technology in action?
How does this reflect the way businesses are using AI?
Where can our viewers go for more information?
For more information please visit: ibm.com/sports
Kameryn Stanhouse is the Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Partnership at IBM. Kameryn joined IBM in June 2025 and is responsible for leading the Strategy and Partnerships related to IBM’s global sponsorship portfolio, which includes partnerships with US Open (tennis), The Masters, Scuderia Ferrari, UFC, The GRAMMYs, Wimbledon, and more.

Rick is joined by actor and comedian, Clayton Farris this week.
A longtime Los Angeles–based actor and writer, Clayton has spent 17 years in Hollywood honing his signature blend of grounded performances and sharp comedic timing. In Weapons, he plays Terry: a substantive, scene-stealing role that marks a standout moment in his career.
Farris, stars in Weapons, the highly anticipated Warner Bros. thriller from Barbarian director Zach Cregger, released on August 8, 2025. He joins the legendary cast that includes Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, and Julia Garner–and is currently filming several major projects to be announced soon.
Clayton’s previous credits span standout genre projects across horror and comedy, including American Horror Story, Ratched, The Morning Show, and most recently, the hit A24 slasher MaXXXine. He’s also built a robust digital presence through witty, relatable sketch comedy—writing and starring in videos that consistently rack up millions of views, earning him the nickname “the Larry David of TikTok.”
Clayton enjoys hiking in LA and also backpacks. He hosted a hiking club and we talk more about that.
Enjoy this talk with one of my favorite people in Hollywood, Clayton Farris.

Rick is joined by WWE wrestling hall of famer, Rob Van Dam this week,.
Van Dam is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movements—and flexibility, Van Dam is one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. He is signed to WWE under a Legends contract.
He has held many different titles over the years and has wrestled all over the world
Van Dam has also appeared on numerous television shows and in films. In 1995, he was in Superfights as “The Mercenary”, and in 1997 he appeared in Bloodmoon as “Dutch Scholtz”. On October 23, 1999, he appeared in City Guys, in the episode “El-Trainmania IV” as himself. In 2000 he appeared in 18 Wheels of Justice, on August 2 as “Robert Laramie”, and in The X-Files on May 7 as “Burt’s opponent” in the episode “Fight Club”. He also appeared on V.I.P. in the episode “Survi-Val” as “Major Ving Talbot” that year. On July 26, 2001, he appeared as himself on Spy TV, and again later that year he appeared as himself in Ultimate Revenge on December 2. In 2002, he was featured in the music video for Breaking Point’s “One of a Kind” along with starring in two films, Black Mask 2: City of Masks as “Claw”, and a cameo appearance in The Backyard as himself.
Great to talk to Rob, especially with the recent passing of Hulk Hogan.

Alice Williams of T-Mobile.

For a Wireless Wednesday Live.

Rick is joined by Rich Mueller, editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily for his annual visit before The National. 
It’s the 45th National.
Sports Collectors Daily offers a heaping helping of sports collecting news daily. We publish completely original sports collecting news stories you won’t see anywhere else.
At least 20 fresh pieces of content are added over the course of one week alone thanks in part to some talented writers, contacts inside and outside the industry and a good old fashioned nose for news. We measure our annual page views in the millions.
No other site can match the professional experience and journalistic quality of Sports Collectors Daily. We set the standard. As one reader put it, SC Daily is “the Wall Street Journal for our industry.”
The National Sports Collectors Convention
The National Sports Collectors Convention, often simply called “The National,” is the largest and most prestigious gathering of sports collectors and memorabilia enthusiasts in the world. Held annually, it has become the cornerstone event for the sports collectibles industry, attracting dealers, collectors, celebrities, and media from across the globe.
Rick and Rich talk The National and more.

The multi-year golf course renovation at Cragun’s Resort, Golf and Conference is finished. PGA TOUR Champions player and course architect Tom Lehman led today’s ceremonial unveiling of the final nine holes, now known as Dutch Red. Once again, all 45 holes are open to resort guest and public play.
Rick talks to Tom Lehman from Cragun’s Resort in Brainard, Minn.
The renovation of Dutch Red—thoughtfully designed to improve playability and enjoyment for golfers of all skill levels—includes striking new bunkering, four redesigned greens, and fresh green surrounds. The routing remains the same, but significant reshaping and clearing have enhanced scenic views across the course.
Among the most noticeable changes is the improvement in playability on holes #3 and #4. Hole #3 now boasts a dramatic change in the landing area off the tee, nearly doubling the size of the fairway. The new green was moved 50 yards back with a soft chipping area surrounding the entire green, making the hole much more enjoyable for all skill levels.
Hole #4 is now a drivable par 4, previously guarded by a series of bunkers and a cart path along the left side. The renovation relocated the bunkers to new strategic areas, moved the cart path to the right side, and it is now more playable and enjoyable. The new green on #4 is much more subtle but still allows for some terrific pin placements.
Today’s grand opening was attended by representatives of Cragun’s Resort owners, Leisure Hotels & Resorts, PGA TOUR Americas, regional and national media, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for golf in the Upper Midwest.
Looking ahead, Cragun’s Resort, Golf & Conference will host the prestigious CRMC Championship, presented by the Northern Pacific Center, for the fourth year, August 28 to 31, offering fans and players an exciting glimpse of the renovated Red and White layouts.
Past champions include two-time PGA TOUR winner Jake Knapp (2022), Yi Cao (2023), and Frederik Kjettrup (2024).
For more information, visit the website at www.craguns.com.

Rick is joined by Michael Brown, COO of World Table Tennis at the US Smash in Las Vegas.
Brown is a qualified and experienced strategic leader with proven success in growing sports organizations.
Now his attention is on table tennis.
He leads Business Services and driving growth as the Chief Operating Officer at World Table Tennis (WTT). The role involves spearheading the development and execution of operational strategies across Finance, Legal, IT, Translation, and General Operations.
Focused on key initiatives such as:
– Driving commercial revenue growth
– Ensuring effective management of commercial rights and intellectual property
– Developing strategies for data collection and monetization
– Managing the due-diligence process for potential third-party investment
Great to talk with Michael