The Life of Dad Show

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about what sports they would love to have played professionally, the reason why Tom doesn't ump any more baseball games, and they bring on sports reporter Larry Fitzgerald Sr. Larry Fitzgerald Sr. has covered sports every which way possible. His work has been in the newspaper, on the internet, radio and television. For over 31 years Larry's passion for sports has been showcased in his work. Larry has been the sports editor and columnist with the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder for more than 25 years. Fitzgerald was the first in Minnesota to weekly feature Minnesota Vikings' star players on radio an hour before the game in front of a live audience. Fitzgerald worked with former Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Dennis Green on a radio show called the Dennis Green Radio Show. In his high school days Larry was an All American, which he passed on his athletic ability to his sons Larry and Marcus. His son Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the third overall pick of in the 2004 NFL draft. The coach for the Cardinals at that time was Dennis Green.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy bring on actor, singer, producer, and father, Joey Lawrence. Joey Lawrence has been on some well-known TV shows. He first began working at age six on the hit show "Gimme a Break." Then he was on "Blossom," which was another hit series. Lawrence, who is always looking to improve his craft, successfully made the transition from teen icon to a legitimate actor. Today he continues to build on his incredible resume. From movies to TV shows to performing on stage Joey is always hard at work. Lawrence's current hit sitcom, "Melissa & Joey" is on ABC Family. He co-stars with Melissa Joan Hart. "Melissa & Joey" is a show where Melissa, who is a grown-up former wild child of a political family, is now a local politician herself. When her sister ends up in prison and her brother-in-law flees after a scandal hits, Mel must take responsibility for her teenaged niece, Lennox, and nephew, Ryder. Help comes in the unlikely form of Joe, who moves in and becomes the family's nanny. We chat with Joey about the show, his career, working with his brothers, and fatherhood. Joey and his wife are blessed with two lovely daughters. We enjoyed hearing Joey's take on his most important role, which is being a dad. We think you will too!

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about their respective Halloweens and they bring on former NFL player and Super Bowl Champion, George Martin. Most of us know George Martin as the star defensive end of the New York Giants. He played in the 1970s and 1980s. He had a total of 96 quarterback sacks and has the touchdown record for a defensive lineman. In Super Bowl XXI he had an incredible interception that Coach Bill Parcells called the greatest football play he has ever seen. George is a Super Bowl Champion, but has done so much more off the field. He has advocated for retired players with chronic injuries, and created a non-profit to help young people find their way to responsible adulthood through athletics and mentoring. He didn't stop there. George had the idea of walking across America to help the rescue and recovery workers who helped America stand tall after 9/11 by raising millions of dollars for their medical care. A true inspiration, George spoke with Tommy Riles and Art Eddy about his journey across the United States, his book,"My Journey for 9/11: Just Around the Bend", his time in the NFL, and fatherhood. Get George Martin's book "My Journey for 9/11: Just Around the Bend" out now in stores.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy bring on two guests, Eric Bennion and former NFL player Ray Lucas. Eric Bennion talks with the guys about Movember. Life of Dad is teaming up with City Dads Groups, Dad 2.0 Summit, and the National At-Home Dad Network. Eric shares his story about why he got involved with this movement to promote men's health. If you want donate to our cause click here! Ray Lucas played for eight years in the NFL. He played for the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, and Ravens. Now he is an Emmy award winning analyst on TV. Still between his time in the NFL and now, Lucas battled an addiction to painkillers and had suicidal thoughts. Ray recently published his experience and thoughts in "Under Pressure: How Playing Football Almost Cost Me Everything and Why I'd Do It All Again" from Triumph Books. In "Under Pressure", Ray provides fans with a timely, uncensored look at pro football's play-at-all-costs culture. Overcoming questions about his size and skills as a quarterback, Lucas persevered and went on to play seven seasons in the NFL. His professional football career, however, came to a sudden end at age 30, when a neck injury caused him to collapse on the sideline during training camp. Instructed by NFL doctors that surgery wasn't an option, Lucas turned to painkillers for relief, but as his tolerance for medication escalated and his NFL insurance coverage expired, he began to plan his suicide. Just days before he planned to take his life, Lucas was put in touch with a group of doctors who agreed to perform neck surgery free of charge. In this tell-all, Lucas shares how -- in a league without guaranteed contracts and careers that average just a few seasons long -- players in the training room are perceived to lack the toughness necessary to succeed on the field. He discusses how this prevailing attitude leads to widespread abuse of painkillers and leaves many former players unable to lead a normal life once their playing career ends while also sharing details on how he overcame his drug addiction and turned his own life around. Ray sat down with Tommy Riles and Art Eddy to talk about his book, his playing days in the NFL, and fatherhood.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy welcome actor, Tom Cavanagh. When you think of Tom Cavanagh you might immediately reflect on his sitcom "Ed". That series showcased Tom's comedic side and eventually produced the hilarious podcast, "Mike and Tom Eat Snacks" with his "Ed" co-star Michael Ian Black which is on the Nerdist network. Besides being in many fantastic films and TV shows, Tom is now featured in the new CW hit series "The Flash". Cavanagh plays the role of Harrison Wells. He is the mind and money behind Central City's S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator, who becomes a pariah after the lab explodes. He serves as a mentor to Barry Allen (The Flash) after he exhibits his powers, but Dr. Wells is keeping secrets from Barry and the plans he has for him. Of course, here at Life of Dad, we like to get each dad's take on fatherhood. Tom has some sincere and loving thoughts on his role as a dad. He also shows us that he still looks to his dad for advice from time to time. To me that is a sign of a great parent. He is always looking to learn how to be a better dad. Besides brilliantly portraying Dr. Wells, Tom has been finishing up some films, "400 Days" and "The Games Maker". Tom and I discuss "The Flash", his current projects, fatherhood, and his experience at Comic Con.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy bring on two fantastic guests to The Life of Dad Show. First up the guys chat with Killian Rieder, who is the Co-Founder and Creative Director for the elo pillow. elo was conceived by two mothers who saw an opportunity to help both children and parents with the struggles of bedtime. It all began at bedtime. Killian, a mother of two was tired of the bedtime battle. Her friend imagined a "magic pillow" that would stop storytime every time her daughter lifted her head off the pillow. One night, the mother tried this tactic while reading stories -- and it worked! The excuses to get out of bed dissolved away, and her daughter stayed resting in bed. She even tried to pick up her stuffed animal with her feet so her story wouldn't be interrupted! Thus began the elo pillow. Now that "magic pillow" is no longer just a dream product, but a tool to encourage restful bedtimes and decrease struggles. Enjoy! Next the guys talk with former NFL General Manager, Bill Polian. From 1984 to 1993 Bill Polian was looking to create a winning and successful franchise in Buffalo. With Marv Levy as the head coach, both Bill and Marv created heck of a team. They did come up short in their dreams of bringing the Lombardi Trophy home to Orchard Park. Still Polian kept with his mindset and ended up being the General Manager for the Indianapolis Colts. He brought in Peyton Manning, Bob Sanders, and many other key players to play in Indy. Bill and the Colts were able to call themselves Super Bowl Champions in 2007 when Indy beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Bill details all of this in his fantastic book called "The Game Plan: The Art of Building a Winning Football Team" from Triumph Books. Even if you don't care about the NFL this is a must read. Polian's book takes a look at how he climbed the ranks in the NFL, life lessons he had learned, his mentors, and stories about the NFL Draft. Not only was Bill kind enough to talk to us about football and his book, but we also talked about fatherhood. He has some great values and lessons that he passed onto his three sons and daughter. It was a real honor for us to talk to one of the best GM's ever to work in the league.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about's Art trip to Miami, Tommy's kids playing soccer, and Art's nickname of "All Business Art." Plus they welcome Freddie Prinze Jr. on the show. If you consider yourself a Star Wars fan I am guessing at one point in your life you thought about how cool it would be to have your own lightsaber. Admit it! Search your feelings. You know it to be true. Well, for one diehard Star Wars fan, that dream became a reality. Actor and father, Freddie Prinze Jr. can now call himself a Jedi. Well at least when he is playing the role of Kanan Jarrus on the new hit series "Star Wars Rebels" on Disney XD. Not only was Art Eddy able to geek out with another Star Wars fan, but he got some cool information on what we can expect from this series. Besides talking about the show, Freddie and Art talk about fatherhood. Freddie shares with Art about who were his role models when he was growing up and how he has taken what he learned from them and use it now that he is a father. He is a great dad with a caring heart. Also support Freddie and the rest of the cast and crew of "Star Wars Rebels" as the series began this past Monday October 13th 9 PM EST on Disney XD.

Tom Riles and Art Eddy talk about their favorite sport themed films, fantasy football, and have a quote off! They also bring on JB Bernstein. JB Bernstein has represented some of the greatest athletes of all time including Barry Bonds, Barry Sanders, and Emmitt Smith. Yet now many people know of his story when Disney showcased it in "Million Dollar Arm". This narrative follows in the same vein as other Disney films like "Miracle" and "Remember the Titans." I really enjoyed this film. The film is set against the backdrop of America's favorite pastime as we see JB's story played by Jon Hamm in the film. Hamm telld JB's story, who is a sports agent that sets out in search of the next great major league baseball pitcher and ends up discovering the true value of teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family. Even though this story has baseball in the forefront, the story focuses more on JB's personal growth and journey in life. You can also see a lot of parallels in the film about Bernstein's tale to the role of fatherhood. As you will hear in our interview JB felt like a father to Rinku and Dinesh, the two boys who were from India that JB brought over to America for the Million Dollar Arm program. We love JB's take on life and what it means to him to be a father. Make sure you check out "Million Dollar Arm." "Million Dollar Arm," is available on Disney Blu-ray, Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand Oct. 7, 2014. Click here to purchase the Blu-ray or DVD.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy discuss the many wonderful recipes that came from the #ShroomTember event with The Mushroom Council. They also bring on actor and comedian Steve Byrne to chat about fatherhood. You might know actor and comedian Steve Byrne from his hit show on TBS -- "Sullivan & Son" -- but he has been in the entertainment industry for over 15 years. Byrne feels that if you want something in life you have to go get it. His strong work ethic comes from his parents and he never looked for the easy route in life. After college Steve went to New York City looking for a job. He got one at Carolines on Broadway comedy club. That is where he fell in love with stand-up comedy. From that point on he was hooked and looked to start a career as a stand-up comic. With his hustle and positive energy Steve hit the big time when TBS green lit his show with his friends in he went on tour with around the country. We love his enthusiasm for being a dad and wanted to learn more about his thoughts on what it means to him to be a father. Steve was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk with us about "Sullivan & Son", fatherhood, and which comedians we should pay attention to.

Tom Riles and Art Eddy talk about the cool new columns at Life of Dad by Creed Anthony called "Your Parent Teacher Conference" and by Carter Gaddis called "The Lineup" The guys have a few special guests stop by the show to say hello. Two of them are Tommy Jr. and Jordan. The guys also bring on actor and father Brett Dalton, who plays Grant Ward from Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to the show. You can check out Season 2 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. Last season ended where S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen after Hydra infiltrated the organization. Chaos and destruction were the only two things left in the aftermath. Now Agent Coulson and the rest of his team are trying to pick up the pieces. They still are dealing with the fact that their one time friend and colleague Agent Grant Ward, played by actor Brett Dalton was working for Hydra. Ward was captured at the end of Season 1 and we will get to see how the other agents will treat him after he betrayed their trust. We had the great pleasure of talking with Brett about Season 1, working with Bill Paxton, his latest film called "The Tourist", and fatherhood.

This week on The Life of Dad Show is jam-packed! First, Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk with Chef Linton Hopkins about #ShroomTember, how to cook and make delicious meals with mushrooms and his restaurant, Eugene. Then, they bring on Chicago Bears cornerback, Charles Tillman. At Life of Dad we look to spread the awareness of Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). Charles Tillman, who plays cornerback for the Chicago Bears looks to do the same thing. His foundation, the Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation looks to provide opportunities and resources to children and their families who are in need. Tillman and our own Tommy Riles have worked together in the Chicago area to help out the Saving Tiny Hearts Society. Charles and the many great people at his foundation run many different events and programs to help children. Tillman's daughter, Tiana, has CHD, and he spoke with Life of Dad about his foundation, his experience with having a child with CHD, football, and fatherhood.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about what fatherhood had to do with Garth Brooks taking time off from touring, Tommy working with Bill Bellamy, the Life of Dad fantasy football league, and how tough it is to be a kid's hairstylist. They also welcome actor and father Danny Trejo to the show. Danny has been in many films such as Heat, Con Air, and Desperado. He also had the leading role in Machete. Danny also has shown his comedic side in films like The Muppets: Most Wanted. You have also seen Danny in hit TV shows like Breaking Bad. Danny talks with the guys about his movies, current projects, and fatherhood!

Tom Riles and Art Eddy talk about the Life of Dad Fantasy Football League, which famous New York Mets pitcher will be playing in our league, what Tom did for his birthday, kids going back to school, and much more. The guys also bring on Major League Baseball great Cecil Fielder. Cecil Fielder was a slugger to be reckoned during his time in Major League Baseball. Fielder played for a few teams, most notably for the Detroit Tigers. In 1990, he became the first player to reach the 50-home run mark since George Foster hit 52 for the Cincinnati Reds in 1977. He helped the New York Yankees with the World Series in 1996. He is a two time Silver Slugger Award winner as well as being the American League RBI Champion for three years straight. He is the father of Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder, who is considered one of the best current power hitters in Major League Baseball. When Prince hit his 50th home run in the 2007 season, it made Cecil and Prince the only father/son duo in Major League history to each reach the milestone. Like father, like son in that department. Fielder also has three more children, another son and two daughters. We were able to chat with Cecil about winning the World Series, his career, what he taught Prince about baseball, and fatherhood. A big shout out to Steiner Sports for setting up the interview with Cecil Fielder. For some fantastic autographed memorabilia from Cecil Fielder check out the Steiner Sports website.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy bring on Life of Dad co-founder David Guest to introduce the interview he and Art had with Academy Award winning director, John G. Avildsen. This interview ties in with David's Film School for Dads column at Life of Dad. John Avildsen won the Academy Award for Best Director in 1977 for Rocky. Other films he directed include Joe, Save the Tiger, Fore Play, The Formula, Neighbors, For Keeps, Lean on Me, The Power of One, 8 Seconds, Inferno, Rocky V and the first three Karate Kid movies. John tells the guys how to get your kids involved in making movies, creating storyboards, and sharing some of his memories with his own kids.

Art Eddy brings on David Guest to chat about his new column at Life of Dad called "Film School for Dads". Art asks David how he came up with the idea for this column, what inspired him to teach film school, and what teams he cheers for in the big leagues and the NFL. They also bring on former St. Louis Rams great Isaac Bruce. Isaac played 14 seasons with the St. Louis Rams and two years with the San Francisco 49ers. During his 16 NFL seasons, Isaac was considered one of the best receivers in the NFL. He was a world-class route-runner, very elusive and highly intelligent with great hands and a tremendous overall threat. He was the first of three second-round draft selections (33rd overall) by Rams in 1994 NFL Draft. When he retired, he was No. 2 on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list behind Jerry Rice and No. 5 on the NFL's all-time receptions list. He had more than 1,000 career receptions and more than 15,000 career receiving yards. His #80 jersey was retired by the Rams in 2010 and he will be eligible for the NFL Hall of Fame in 2015. Bruce scored a 73-yard touchdown with pass from QB Kurt Warner with under two minutes to play in the game to give Rams' 23-16 victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. Now after his time in the NFL, Isaac spends time with his family as well as with his foundation. Isaac established the Isaac Bruce Foundation which reaches out to youth and teaches them at early age the importance of a healthy lifestyle by focusing on programs in the areas of health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and education. We spoke with Issac about his time in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl, fatherhood, and the work he does with his foundation.