The Life of Dad Show

This week, Life of Dad had the great pleasure of working with Lee Jeans and ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic for our #LeeTailgate Twitter Chat. Greeny and Golic took a different stance when it comes to tailgating, but they can agree that Lee Jeans are perfect for when you are out at a stadium getting ready for a game. The Life of Dad Show hosts, Tommy Riles and Art Eddy, chat with Mike Greenberg (@ESPNGreeny) and Mike Golic (@ESPNGolic) about tailgating, the 2015 NFL season and fatherhood. Whose side are you on, Greeny's or Golic's? Weigh in on social media and @LeeJeans using the hashtag #LeeTailgate. Some of the topics up for debate are: College vs. Pro Football Tailgating Best Pro Football Tailgate Locale Favorite Tailgate Food Favorite Tailgate Games Dressing for the Day: Comfort vs. Looking Good Listen to the podcast with Mike & Mike to see how your opinions compare to theirs.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk some football as well as voice acting in this week's Life of Dad Show. The guys then bring on voice actor, James Arnold Taylor. James Arnold Taylor is an actor, entertainer, motivational writer and speaker, host and emcee for every occasion. He is one of the most versatile Voice-Actors in Hollywood today known worldwide within the video game and animation communities, as well as an established event host for Disney, LucasFilm, REEDPop, SquareEnix and the USO. Most have probably heard Taylor's work and not even have known it was him. That to him means that he is doing his job right. Whether he is leading a clone army as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series or running around Bedrock as Fred Flintstone, Taylor brings our favorite characters to life. Not only does he voice animated characters, but he steps in for actors like Johnny Depp when a line needs to be redone for a film. If you follow James on social media you already know that he has a positive attitude and is always looking to help other people. His book, JAT 365 offers you 365 days of his positivity in this book adapted from the pages of his on-line social media accounts. This simple, easy to read and use book allows anyone to start the next 365 days with a positive thought, then challenge yourself to accept, forward and practice it, as well as journal your own impressions of it on every page along with James. Art had the pleasure of talking with James Arnold Taylor about fatherhood, voice acting, his book, and even sneakers!

Tommy Riles recaps his trip to New York City and his love for porridge to Art Eddy. They discuss Week 1 in the NFL as well as its fantasy football implications. Then they bring on Chris Gilligan, who is the Executive Producer for the new show on Disney Junior, "Goldie & Bear". A 25-year veteran of film, television and animation, Chris Gilligan's credits include Disney's "James and the Giant Peach", "Ice Age: The Meltdown", "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who", "Robots" and Oscar-nominated "Frankenweenie". Gilligan currently serves as co-owner of independent feature film company Wild Invention, executive producers of the multi-nominated "The Loneliest Planet" and "The Lifeguard". Previously, Gilligan worked at Curious Pictures as an animator, writer and director. His work there earned him a Cable Ace Award for the short film "Foilman" and a Broadcast Design Award for "Paper Chase", as well as an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Rap Video for Public Enemy's "Give It Up". He got his start in stop-motion animation working on commercials and children's TV series at Broadcast Arts. A graduate of Philadelphia's University of the Arts with a BFA in Film and Animation, Gilligan currently resides in New York City with his wife and two children. Now Gilligan is working on Disney Junior's new animated series "Goldie & Bear", that debuted on September 12, which chronicles the enchanting stories of Goldie and Bear who have become unlikely best friends after the infamous porridge debacle from "Goldilocks and The Three Bears". The series presents classic tales, but with a modern twist, picking up where the original tales left off and is meant to spark conversations about the narratives and morals highlighted by Goldie & Bear's unlikely friendship and their comedic interactions with their Fairytale Forest neighbors. Go to the "Goldie & Bear" website to watch videos, play games, and much more!

Tommy Riles was in New York City. He met up with Art Eddy in the city to record a podcast together. The guys talked about how working in New York this past week was a sort of homecoming for Tom. Then they discuss the New England Patriots, and they bring on writer, stand-up comic, and actor Josh Wolf. Josh Wolf is a New York Times Bestselling Author, a writer for hit television shows, as well as headlining stand-up comedy tours across the nation. Wolf is currently a regular round table guest and writer on the hit E! series "Chelsea Lately", and recently appeared as a performer on the E! series "After Lately". In 2012, Wolf landed a book deal with Grand Central Publishing to pen his first book written solo, "It Takes Balls: Dating Single Moms and Other Confessions from an Underprepared Single Dad". The book is funny and brutally honest. It details Wolf's adventures as a struggling stand-up comedian, while juggling being a single parent in Los Angeles. Josh lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife Beth. In his down time, he loves to hang out with his wife and kids, Trevor, Kaitlynn, and Jacob. Wolf has a passion for supporting the troops and actively participates with various organizations. Follow Josh Wolf on Twitter @joshwolfcomedy, Facebook, and on ComedianJoshWolf.com And, by all means, buy his book - "It Takes Balls"!

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about Art's first trip to Portland and hanging out with Patrick Quinn, Tom's birthday, and what Tom will be doing in Indianapolis soon. They then bring on singer and actor Elijah Rock. Elijah Rock is an award-winning Actor, Singer, Writer, Producer and "Artrepreneur". He is the 2014 NAACP Theatre Award Winner for Best Male Equity performer in "Breath and Imagination-The Story of Roland Hayes" written by award-winning playwright Daniel Beaty and staged at the renowned Colony Theatre in Burbank, CA. This season, Rock reprised the role of Roland Hayes in Boston, MA at Arts Emerson's historical Paramount Theatre. While in Boston, Rock was honored to sing the National Anthem at the 2015 State of City Address for Boston Mayor, Marty Walsh in Boston Symphony Hall. Recently, Rock starred as the Crooner in the Los Angeles premiere of "Words by Ira Gershwin", which ran at the Colony Theatre from April18th-Extended thru May24th, 2015. See Reviews! In television, Rock has appeared as a recurring guest star in the second season of "Masters of Sex" on Showtime. On the big screen, he is preparing to star in the biopic "Lincoln Perry" to be produced with Brad Wilson and directed by the award-winning writer/director, Antwone Fisher. We spoke with Elijah about creating his new album, acting, and fatherhood. Check out Elijah's website at ElijahRock.net Follow Elijah on Twitter @ElijahRock

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk first day of school, getting to know who this year's teachers will be, and Tommy's daughter's Baptism. Then the guys bring on Victor Cho, who is the CEO of Evite. Victor Cho is the Chief Executive Officer of Evite. Cho looks to lead Evite into a new phase of development that will redefine the brand and the party planning space. Cho has been part of many different types of companies. Ever since he was a young kid Victor knew that he wanted to work for a software company. To make sure he accomplished his dream Victor has managed development teams. He has done marketing as well as business and channel development. He has touched every part of a business in some shape or form. It was very clear to him that if he was going to run a business he needed to understand how all the different kinds of the component pieces work. Not only did Cho have a plan to accomplish his work goals, but he had some things he wanted to achieve as a father. Victor took a year off of work before he became the CEO of Evite. He asked some other dads out there if they could have taken time off to spend with their children when was the age to do so. Most of the feedback was when the kids were between the ages of three and six. Cho decided to follow their advice. He was able to take some time off and spend that year with his daughters. It is something that he will always cherish. Life of Dad co-founder, David Guest and Art Eddy had the great pleasure of talking with Victor about fatherhood, his business goals, and becoming a CEO.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy run the gamut on a bunch of topics -- from the news at the the Walt Disney D23 Expo weekend with all the new movies, to Tom's house going back to the Jurassic Period, to the Life of Dad Fantasy Football League. Then the guys chat with NBA great, Steve Smith. Steve Smith takes a lot of pride in being from Michigan. His parents are Donald and the late Clara Bell Smith taught Steve a lot through their words and actions. Steve saw the many sacrifices and acts of kindness not only in his family, but to others in his community. Being a witness to all of that made Steve want pay it forward. Steve did that by creating the Steve Smith Charitable Fund. This fund was established to honor those who helped support him in achieving his goals. From his family, friends, teachers, coaches and community he made sure to give back. These people continue to inspire Steve and compel him to give back to the community. The charitable fund began as a benefit to those students from Steve's alma mater, Detroit's Pershing High School, who wished to attend Michigan State University. The charity has since grown to meet broader needs in the communities that have supported Steve throughout his life. Steve attended Pershing High School in Detroit and then Michigan State University from 1987-1991, where he became a First Team All American basketball player, and the Spartans' all-time leading scorer, with 2,263 points. At that time, he ranked 5th all-time in Big Ten history, and was also First Team All-Big Ten in his senior season. In 1991, Steve was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He also has played with the Atlanta Hawks (1994-1999), the Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2001), the San Antonio Spurs (2001-2003), the New Orleans Hornets (2003-2004), and the Charlotte Bobcats and Miami Heat during the 2004-2005 season. Steve was also a member of the gold medal winning Dream Team II during the 1994 FIBA Word Championships in Toronto. In 2000, Steve was honored by being chosen to represent his country by playing for the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Basketball team in Sydney, Australia. On September 30, 2005, Steve returned to MSU to announce his retirement from the NBA after 14 seasons. In 2009, Steve earned the Dick Enberg award, which recognized him for his commitment to promoting the values of education and academics to student-athletes. On February 18, 2013, Steve was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Now Steve Smith works as a game and studio analyst for NBA TV and the Big Ten Network. We had the great pleasure of talking with Steve about his time in the NBA, the Steve Smith Charitable Fund, and fatherhood. For more on the Steve Smith Charitable Fund, please visit SteveSmithCharitableFund.org Follow Steve on Twitter @steve21smith

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about baseball, football, and Tom's video game documentary that showed off his football video game skills. Then they bring on NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Curtis Martin. Curtis Martin didn't think that he would make it into the NFL. Other people felt the same way. Curtis missed most of his games his final season while he attended the University of Pittsburgh. Yet he was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round. All of his doubts were pushed aside from his very first carry in the NFL. He rushed for 30 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown and became the first Patriots player to rush for 100 yards in his first career start. That year he went on to win Rookie of the Year. Later in his career Martin signed as a free agent with the New York Jets. In his career Martin ran for over 14,000 yards and scored 90 rushing touchdowns. Martin's determination led him to have fantastic career which landed him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even after his retirement Martin still looks to make an impact. He speaks with rookies that are coming into the league to help with their transition. Curtis is also a fantastic dad. He is always looking to do the best he can to raise his daughters right. He takes great pride in making sure that he instills values into their lives. Art had the fantastic pleasure of talking with Curtis about his time in the league, fatherhood, and playing in the Super Bowl. Follow Curtis Martin on Twitter @CurtisMartin28

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about Tom's recent trip to Vegas, and they both share their feelings about going to the spa. They then bring on Clive Standen from the hit History show "Vikings". Clive Standen and his fellow actors on the hit History Channel series "Vikings" have become a fan favorite. Fans are loving the series and if you have seen the show you know why. Clive plays the role of Rollo Lothbrok, who is the main character's brother. Rollo is based on the historical figure, who was the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conquerer. We talk with Clive about the success of "Vikings", fatherhood, fans obsession with the crew's hair extensions, fight choreography, and more.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about swimming with their kids, anniversaries, birthday parties, and who they think will make it to the Super Bowl. They bring on former two-time Super Bowl Champ, Lee Rouson. Lee Rouson is a former running back in the NFL for the New York Giants. He was the NFL Special Teams Player of the Year in 1986. He helped the Giants win in Super Bowl XXI. Lee attended the University of Colorado and was awarded Freshman All Big Eight, All Big Eight Honorable Mention, and Blue/Grey All Star Classic. Lee was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he earned the starting running back position. After suffering a severe ankle injury, Rouson decided to retire, having played seven years in the NFL. Now Lee travels around the country talking to people about making sure that they know who they are inside before judging others. Watch Lee's speech called "I am." He also works with the Anti Bully Squad. Their mission is to create a permanent solution to bullying through education, awareness and prevention. Through good moral character working closely with TV, music, and sports stars, they are creating an environment which will not tolerate bullying and its adverse effects on any individual. The Anti Bully Squad also has a Text 2 Report program. Text 2 Report offers a Nationwide Anti Bully Text line that operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week. With Text 2 Report, students now have the ability to text in any bully situation and remain 100% anonymous. The Anti Bully Squad does not give out the name of a student, they are assigned a case number for reference. The necessary steps are then taken to help resolve the issue in private. The information is not released, under any circumstances, unless requested by the client. Ryan Hamilton and Art Eddy speak with Lee Rouson about his time in the NFL, fatherhood, and his work with the Anti Bully Squad.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about Art's trips to New York City to screen Marvel's "Ant-Man" and Sony's "Pixels". Read Art's review of "Ant-Man". Then they bring on WWE Superstar Mick Foley. Mick Foley, who is a 3-time WWE champion and 2-time New York Times #1 best-selling author has a one-man stage show called "Hardcore Legend: An Evening with Mick Foley". In this show Foley tells his incredible stories of is time in the WWE using humor and intensity. Mick has taken his show worldwide with glowing praise where ever he goes. Best-selling author Paul O'Brien, writing for "The Layfield Report" wrote, "He always leaves them laughing. Laughing, standing at the end and always wanting more." Even the decidedly non-wrestling publication "Broadway Babies" said "If you're interested at all in wrestling, you'll love it; if you're not, you'll like it." Mick got the nickname "The Hardcore Legend" for his uncanny trait of taking punishment in some of the most dramatic matches in sports-entertainment history. No matter if he was Cactus Jack, Mankind, or as Mick he made the WWE fans always walk away amazed from his performance. One of Foley's most epic and brutal battle was with The Undertaker in 1998's "Hell in a Cell" match, during which he was knocked unconscious after falls both off of and through the 16 foot Cell structure. Foley finished the match -- with one of his front teeth lodged in his nose. Mick wrote his autobiography of 700 pages all on notebook paper, which was later turned into "Have a Nice Day." That book became number one on the New York Times best-seller list in October 1999. The book remained on the Times list for twenty six weeks. In 2001 Mick wrote "Foley is Good" and was on The New York Times list as well. Foley has published a total of ten books; four memoirs, four children's books, and two novels. We spoke with Mick about his tour, his days in the WWE and fatherhood. Follow Mick on Twitter @RealMickFoley For more info on Mick's tour, check out his website.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about weird sport team names and what happens when a team relocates to a new city. To keep the sports theme going they bring on Tennessee Titans great Eddie George. Eddie George had an impressive career in the NFL. He is only the second NFL running back to rush for 10,000 yards while never missing a start, joining Jim Brown. Only Walter Payton has started more consecutive regular-season games than George's 128. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, George won several NFL Rookie of the Year awards in 1996, and was the Tennessee Titans' starting tailback until 2003. George won the 1997 AP's "Offensive Rookie of the Year" honors as well as four consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1998-2001. He was selected in the first round by the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. Eddie led the AFC Champion Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. Eddie didn't stop challenging himself after he left the NFL. He received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is also an actor and most importantly a father. We had the great privilege to chat with Eddie about his time in the NFL, what motivates him now, and his views on fatherhood. For more on Eddie George, go to EddieGeorge.com.

In this special episode of The Life of Dad Show, Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk with Dana Nachman who is the director of the phenomenal documentary, "Batkid Begins". One child. One wish. Millions touched. Who would have thought a 5-year-old boy who fought leukemia would transform a city and a nation for a day? No one. Not his family. Not his friends. Not the thousands of volunteers who came from near and far to help make his wish come true. But it did. "Batkid Begins" is a documentary that takes you back to November 15th, 2013, the day San Francisco turned into Gotham City, and the day the internet was nice. More than a billion people took to social media to cheer on BatKid, even President Obama! In all, the #SfBatKid and #BatKid hashtags reached more than 1.84 Billion people on Twitter and Instagram. This wish and this little caped crusader resonated with so many people, including us, and we wanted to find out why. For more on this film go to BatkidBegins.com Dana Nachman is the co-founder of KTF Films. Born and raised in New York, writer/director Dana Nachman's films, Witch Hunt (2008), Love Hate Love (2011), and The Human Experiment (2015) have premiered and screened at the Toronto, Tribeca, IDFA, AFI and Cinequest Film Festivals. She has won numerous prizes including 3 Emmy Awards, The Edward R Murrow Award, The Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Cinequest Film Festival. She has received more than a dozen grants for her work including grants from the Tribeca Institute, Fledgling Fund and the Pacific Pioneer Fund. Nachman's films have been seen by millions of people on various networks including MSNBC and the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Tommy Riles and Art Eddy share what they each did for the 4th of July weekend. Then they bring on ESPN's Mike Greenberg to the show. Mike Greenberg is the co-host of ESPN's "Mike and Mike", and is the author of the New York Times bestselling books "All You Could Ask For", "Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot", and "Mike and Mike's Rules for Sports and Life". He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a native of New York City. He currently lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children. Mike's latest book is "My Father's Wives: A Novel", a poignant story of one man's search to understand himself, his marriage, and his father. Recently Mike has teamed up with Dove Men+Care. He has voiced a few of the spots for them. The most recent video showcases men learning that they will be fathers. Art was able to chat with Mike about his involvement with Dove Men+Care, his work at ESPN, fatherhood, and sports. Follow Mike on Twitter @Espngreeny and use the hashtag #RealStrength with @DoveMenCare.

This week, Tommy Riles and Art Eddy talk about Tommy's new daughter Katie, how fireworks and toddlers don't mix, and they bring on former New York Knicks star John Starks. When we were kids some of us wanted to become professional athletes in our favorite sports. I wanted to either be a running back in the NFL or a point guard in the NBA. I didn't make it to that level, but there are kids with those aspirations that made their dream become a reality. As a young boy, John Starks knew he wanted to become a professional basketball player. With the love and support of family, specifically his mother Irene and grandmother Callie, and through sheer determination he achieved his goal when he signed with the New York Knicks. Starks was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1992-1993, became an NBA All-Star in 1994, and was awarded the League's Sixth Man of the Year in 1996-1997. He averaged 14.1 points per game, while leading the Knicks in three point goals (982). In addition, he remains 11th in total points (8,489), 8th in assists (2,394), and 7th in steals (711) in Knicks history. Even while playing in the NBA, John took the time to create the John Starks Foundation. He created the foundation to provide positive opportunities for disadvantaged youngsters and communities. John and his family reside in Stamford, CT. When his not watching the Knicks, John spends time with his family, playing golf and working on his foundation's agendas. We had the great pleasure of talking with John about his time in the NBA, fatherhood, and his foundation. Follow John Starks on Twitter @StarksTheDunk Learn more about the John Starks Foundation.