In Episode 4 of Season 5 Mike welcomes back a listener favorite from all the way back in Season 1 (episode 3) in Megan Mazurek and her husband Kyle for a neighborly discussion of the 2023 Michigan v Bowling Green Falcons game.  Not only do Mike, Kyle and Megan break down the game itself but also talk about how it fits in the “big picture” of Michigan’s legendary 2023 season.  What a discussion it is!Follow the podcast on Twitter/X: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E4 and breaks down the plan for the episode.2:05: Mike corrects a huge omission from S5E2 (the East Carolina episode) about the ranch from the hit Nickelodeon show Hey Dude! and podcast guest Kelly Worman.3:10: Mike then updates the listeners about what’s been going on with him, including going to see AFC Ann Arbor soccer live and how that in NO way conflicts with his love of Detroit City FC.5:15: Mike introduces the theme of this episode, including how the concept of being a neighbor comes into play as well as a classic and in no way awkward song about his guests for the pod.16:15: Mike welcomes Kyle and Megan Mazurek, his former neighbors and current good friends, to the podcast.17:30: The crew trace the origins of their friendship.19:40: Kyle gives some critical background information on his life and does not hold back.21:20: The Mazureks share their passion for another Michigan sport: hockey while Mike brings up the pathetic pizza at Yost Ice Arena (Buddy’s Pizza: you’re officially on blast!)24:50: The crew talks about the last time they saw each other in person and how they established a friendship with Michigan hoops great Caris LaVert.26:50: Kyle and Megan share how they were feeling coming into the 2023 Michigan Football season.29:50: Next up: a discussion of the pre-game tailgating approach for this Bowling Green game given it was a night game, including the famous snack Megan likes to bring and Kyle’s exotic craft beer cooler, Megan’s mom Nancy, the #1 ranked usher at Michigan Stadium and Megan’s dad Geoff’s biking gear.33:00: Mike sets the table for the Bowling Green game, including reminiscing about the first Michigan football night game in Michigan football history (the 2011 win over Notre Dame).  There’s also a story of touching the Butts in this segment.35:00: Mike breaks down what happened in this historic game.43:00: Mike, Megan and Kyle talk about how they were feeling about Michigan’s chances for the rest of the year coming out of the BG game.45:40: The Mazureks then explain why they bleed maize and blue.

In Episode 3 of Season 5 Mike welcomes back a listener favorite from Season 4 (S4E1 guest Rachael Lawrence-Lupton) and THREE other members of the Lawrence-Lupton family: David, Daniel and even Elle (all three are also good friends of Mike’s!) for a spirited discussion of the 2023 Michigan football vs UNLV game.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E3 and breaks down the plan for the episode.3:00: Mike then corrects a few embarrassing errors from S5E2, including Mike using the term “native city” for the City of Detroit, mixing up the shows Hey Dude! with Salute Your Shorts, and when the first Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special happens in the sequence of the show.8:15: Next up Mike recounts his recent trip to New York City, from taking advantage of public transit to seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (and not showing up his tour guide) to food and drink tours to the Tigers/Yankees game as well as checking out the One World Observatory and 9/11 Memorial Museum.17:15: Mike then explains his special attachment to UNLV and honors that attachment with his favorite Vegas-themed song.22:00: Mike welcomes on his three guests for this special episode (Rachael, David, and Daniel Lawrence-Lupton) along with a cat.  David then gives some background on himself as having grown up in Ann Arbor along with Rachael. Daniel then introduces himself to the podcast community by talking about his personal friendships with several University of Michigan football players.27:30: Daniel then vividly describes how excited he was to attend his first Michigan game in person.28:30: The crew talks about the last time they all saw each other, including when Daniel took down Mike in chess as well as how they were feeling about Michigan football heading into the 2023 season.30:00: Next up: passionate and well reasoned thoughts from the Lawrence-Luptons on how they thought Michigan was going to do coming into the 2023 football season.32:30: Miike sets the stage for the UNLV game34:00: The gang talks about their shared passion of tailgating and the tradition of David, Rachael and their families stopping by with Rachael’s signature shortbread, a KEY ingredient to Michigan home victories!37:45: Next up is a detailed/vivid recap of the game itself.46:30: The crew talk about what they were feeling coming out of this game about the Michigan team and the rest of the season, including Daniel NEEDING to get to more games (but NOT a night game).51:00: The Lawrence-Luptons talk about what it is about Michigan football keeps them coming back year after year.

In Episode 2 of Season 5 Mike welcomes two listener favorites back to the podcast (S1E7 guest Kelly Worman and S2E9 guest Kyle Urek) for a rousing discussion of the 2023 Michigan football vs East Carolina game.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E2 and breaks down the plan for the episode.3.00: Mike then gives the listeners an update about what’s been going on with him, starting with an epic triple trip to the Motor City all facilitated by the D2A2 bus (D2A2.com).4:00: First up was a trip up to Hamtramck to catch a Detroit City FC soccer match.5:25: Next up was checking out the NFL Draft and a sea of humanity in the best possible way.6:30: The epic week of Detroit outings ended with the Tigers/Royals baseball game.8:00: Mike then describes a new (well, new to him) TV show called Gavin and Stacey that’s caught not only his eye but also his funny bone and his heart.15:00: Mike welcomes his dear friends Kelly Worman and Kyle Urek onto the podcast.20:00: Kyle and Kelly then give some updates on what’s been happening with them.23:40: The guys then discuss when they last saw each other.26:15: Mike lays out the plan for the rest of the episode and the guys talk about their overall feelings on Michigan football coming into the 2023 season.33:00:  Kelly talks about how special a weekend it was to come up to Ann Arbor with his two oldest daughters and Kyle goes over the bond he’s been building with his daughter over Michigan football.34:00: The guys talk through the Michigan/East Carolina game, including the grave injustice of a suspension laid on Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh and how this was the first Michigan football game on Peacock.44:20: Did anything about the guys’ feelings about the chances of the Michigan football team the rest of the season change from this game?46:40: Kyle and Kelly finish the episode by breaking down why Michigan football keeps a special place in both of their hearts.

Mike kicks off season 5 with a true “setting the table” episode where he lays out the concept for the season ahead.  It’s going to involve a lot of things, including life lessons, friendship, obstacles, overcoming obstacles, travel, music, and memories.Follow the podcast on Twitter/x: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Episode 1 of Season 5, a very special podcast season focused on a very special season of Michigan football and friendship.2:40: Mike then discusses why Season 4 was only a few (albeit amazing) episodes.4:10: MIke gives an update on what’s been going on with him.  Spoiler alert: A lot, including a major trip to the United Kingdom.4:45: Mike breaks down his trip to Scotland and England, starting with Edinburgh and then London.5:50: Mike discusses a song from his favorite Scottish Band that encapsulates his trip to their hometown Ediburgh.10:10: Mike then pivots to the London portion of his trip, discussing various sites he absorbed, including taking a guided walk of SoHo, a trip to the Sir John Soane Museum, eating a lovely dinner with his dear friends Emily and Guy,  and taking in a Tottenham Hotspur football/soccer match. 15:30: Mike then discusses an English punk song he loves to play on jukeboxes wherever he goes.22:25: Mike finishes the episode by discussing the theme for Season 5.

In Episode 3 of Season 4 Mike welcomes the College Football Crew (S1E11 guest Tim Horvath and Chad Massey) for their annual tradition of talking all things college football for the 2023 season with SLIGHT focus on the University of Michigan Wolverines. Follow the podcast on Twitter/X: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike kicks off the podcast with a special pre-intro intro that sets the stage for the rest of the episode.2:45: Mike welcomes listeners to S4E3 featuring the College Football Crew (CFC) of Mike and S1E7 Guest Tim Horvath along with Chad Massey.4:30: Mike corrects a MAJOR fail from S4E2 (Part 2) in leaving out two critical former Detroit pro sports teams.6:00: Mike then breaks down what’s been going on with him, including a trip to the cinema and a quick road trip to the City by the Lake.8:00: The College Football Crew (Mike D, Tim Horvath, Chad Massey) are gloriously reunited to talk 2023 college football. 10:30: Tim gives a quick update on his 2023 summer.12:50: Chad then updates the listeners on his 2023 summer (huge insurance news!) as well as pays tribute to his mom, Diana Massey including an EPIC story about how she helped bring home the 1989 Final Four Michigan win over Illinois.22:00: The guys then recap some of their favorite memories from their joint tailgates during the 2022 season where they joined forces like Voltron.  One story that gets highlighted is the classic tailgate “protest” staged by Chad’s younger son involving chair-tipping.28:45: The fellas go back through their 2022 predictions and hold themselves accountable as well as discussing their favorite moments from last season, including the Penn State, Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois, and of course Ohio State.48:00: The famous Big Ten Championship Game after party in Indianapolis is discussed, including admissions by Chad and Tim over borderline neglectful parenting as well as the unparalleled toughness of Kim Horvath.52:30: The fellas then take it macro and discuss a bit about college football conference realignment.1:00:00: Next up: a discussion of the guys’ favorite Big Ten road trips.1:06:00: The fellas break down their reasons for optimism on Michigan’s 2023 season.1:09:05: Reasons for concern/awareness for Michigan’s 2023 season.1:13:45: The key players for the 2023 season.1:18:25: Key positions group for the 2023 season.1:22:50: The guys go game by game with their predictions for the 2023 Season1:23:20: Michigan v East Carolina1:24:00: Michigan v UNLV1:25:30: Michigan v Bowling Green1:26:40: Michigan v Rutgers1:28:45: Michigan at Nebraska1:31:30: Michigan at Minnesota1:34:15: Michigan v Indiana1:37:15: Michigan at Michigan State1:44:30: Michigan v Purdue1:46:44: Michigan at Penn State1:53:30: Michigan at Maryland1:57:00: Michigan v Ohio State2:02:00: The guys give their Big 10 Championship predictions, college football playoff predictions, and national champion predictions.

In Episode 2 (part 2!) of Season 4 Mike welcomes FOUR of his good friends (Todd Pretty, Tim Horvath and Kyle Urek)  on the podcast for a continuation of their scholarly discussion of their favorite Detroit pro sports athletes from their youth.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S4E2 featuring three of Mike’s dearest of dear friends, S1E1/Movie Crew Guest Todd Pretty, S1E11/College Football Preview Pod guest Tim Horvath, and S2E9 guest Kyle Urek, to the second half of their discussion about their favorite Detroit pro sports athletes from growing up.4:45: Chet Lemon and a song that is also known as The H is O.17:00: Joe Dumars and a song that absolutely used to rock the Palace of Auburn Hills28:00: Bill Laimbeer and a song for bad boys who were great37:30: Chris Spielman and a true stadium anthem that can be belted from the clouds46:40: Bob Probert and a song about what Probie’s opponents would do before facing him56:40: Nicklas Lidström and the perfect song for the player known as the “Perfect Human”1:03:50: Sergei Federov and a rock-filled jam the epitomized a Saturday night out at the Joe

In Episode 2 (part 1!) of Season 4 Mike welcomes FOUR Of his good friends (S1E1 guest and Movie Crew member Todd Pretty, S1E11 and College Football Preview pod guest Tim Horvath, and S2E9 Guest Kyle Urek for a rollicking discussion of their favorite Detroit pro sports athletes from growing up in Allen Park, MI.  In addition, there’s a special added musical gift with each selection you won’t want to miss!Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S4E2 featuring three of Mike’s dearest of dear friends in Todd Pretty, Tim Horvath, Kyle Urek.2:55: Mike talks about what’s been going on with him, including a myriad of day trips to Detroit to go see Detroit City FC soccer (via the famed D2A2 shuttle service), two trips to Chicago via the Amtrak, and one day trip to Kalamazoo via the Amtrak with the Wing Kings.  Mike also discusses his favorite TV show of the summer (The Bear).8:20: Mike welcomes BACK Todd, Tim and Kyle to the podcast and finds out what’s been going on with each of them.15:40: The guys then go through the last time they saw each other, including Todd forcing his daughter to leave a USMNT soccer game early, the long concession lines at Soldier Field, celebrating Tim’s son's academic accomplishments at a low end local spot, and Tigers Opening Day.21:25: Mike then breaks down the theme of this episode: the guys’ all time favorite Detroit sports figures from their collective youths.23:00: The guys then recall some of their favorite sports memories from their youth.31:00: Next up the guys each talk about three of their favorite Detroit sports athletes from their youth and a song that best embodies that player:31:30: Steve Yzerman + a song from the pride of Ann Arbor about staying consistently great43:20: Barry Sanders + a song for the working man in honor of a working man’s RB56:25: Isaiah Thomas + a song that evokes the attitude Zeke instilled in the Bad Boys Pistons1:09:30: Alan Trammell + a song about how time can be an asset1:20:00: Lou Whitaker + a song that cannot be used to put anyone (especially Baby) in a corner

In Episode 1 of Season 4 Mike welcomes his good friend Rachael Lawrence-Lupon for a DEEP dive on their favorite duet songs from the golden age of duets (the 1990s) as well as Rahael’s passion for music and the joy and comfort she brings people through her work as a music therapist.  Mike and Rachael also discuss an amazing fundraiser event throughout Michigan called Barley, Beats and BBQ (https://www.hom.org/barley-bbq-beats-2023/).Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S4E1 featuring Mike’s musical friend Rachael Lawrence-Lupton1:40: Mike talks about what’s been going on with him, including an epic train trip to Canada, involving a transit adventure, discovering a wonderful Canadian mystery novel series by Louise Penny, a lot of NHL hockey, and a whole lot of Canadian culture.12:00: Mike then recalls the St. Patrick’s Day Party he hosted in the Daniel Pub (aka his basement pub) that involved double digit friends showing up.13:15: Mike goes over his recent trip to the continent of Europe and what it entailed.14:10: Mike goes over the plan for the podcast going forward and what it is evolving into.  Spoiler alert: it’s changing a bit!16:20: Mike then brings on his friend Rachael Lawrence-Lupton to talk their favorite duet jams from the 90s.17:40: Rachael gives some background on her as an Ann Arbor native18:40: Mike and Rachael talk about how they know each other (which Mike actually MISREMEMBERS) and how their friendship blossomed over pub trivia.23:30: The topic of Rachael’s good luck snack she brings to every Michigan football tailgate party at Mike’s house.25:30: Rachael talks about the music therapy work she does at Arbor Hospice and its impact on the people she provides therapy to, as well as the Barley, BBQ and Beats fundraiser events (https://www.hom.org/barley-bbq-beats-2023/) happening all over the State of Michigan.28:15: Rachael breaks down who her longest running friend is (he doubles as her roommate and husband!).29:30: Mike and Rachael go over the theme and format for this episode on 90s duets and how they define “duet” (Rachael’s definition is much more scientific than Mike’s).36:00: Mike and Rachael then break down their top 7 favorite duets from the 1990s in serious detail, starting with Rachael’s #7 duet which involves a classic father/daughter collaboration.42:40: A song about not knowing a lot except one critical thing, a beautiful higher pitched male voice and a road trip from Chicago to Ann Arbor.50:25: Two legendary R&B crooners in a dispute over a boy.58:00: A beautiful duet about losing love (which sometimes does happen).1:05:00: A track about a new world that’s not half full, but instead very full.1:13:20: Wu-Tang and an R&B Legend in a groundbreaking crossover duet.1:20:45: A Country Duet that’s an all time wedding reception emotional banger featuring one half of the queen of Canadian country music..1:27:30: A classic cover duet featuring an established rocker and an up-and-coming prodigy.  This one gets wild in the evening.1:33:00: A duet featuring two of the most powerful vocalists of all time, one from north of the border and the other a legendary Broadway artist.1:41:35: An alternative rock duet with a killer message that will leave you hungry for more.1:48:15: An R&B duet with a killer string opening that Mike used to play on loop in his dorm room back in 1997-1998.1:55:10: A country duet from a boyfriend to a girlfriend who later became husband and wife.2:01:40: MC + WH = Raw Duet POWER2:09:30: An R&B/Hip Hop Duet Crossover that encapsulates the 90s.

In Part 2 of this special Season 3 off-season Point Five Mike welcomes FOUR of his favorite peeps onto the podcast (an expanded “Movie Crew” featuring S1E1 guest Todd Pretty, S1E5 guest Tim Rechtien, S2E1 guess Amy Pretty and Jess Rechtien) for a rollicking discussion over their favorite Romantic Comedy (aka RomComs) Films of all time.  The Crew goes deep into the remaining eight of the fifteen total RomComs they cover between both parts of this amazing episode.  Part 1 has already become legendary.  Part 2 will NOT let you down!Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Part 2 of S3E8.5 featuring the Movie Crew (Todd Pretty and Tim Rechtien, along with S2E1 guest Amy Pretty and joining the pod for the first time Jess Rechtien) where they warmly discuss films 8-15 on their respective lists.  Some all time classics for sure!2:25: A movie about an Italian family where passion knows no bounds (Jess’ 2nd Round Pick)14:50: A hooker with a heart of gold?!  Don’t judge (Tim’s 2nd Round Pick)24:40: Don’t we all wish we could be 30, flirty, and thriving? (Amy’s 2nd Round Pick)34:35: A little RomCom about Jack and Diane (Amy’s 3rd Round Pick)47:10: An unforgettable RomCom set in Hawaii that’s heavy on the Com with just the right amount of Rom thrown in (Tim’s 3rd Round Pick)1:01:20: A movie where the goal is to lose love but one where that goal is definitely NOT met (Jess’ 3rd Round Pick)1:12:50: A 90s take on a classic Shakespearean RomCom (Mike D’s 3rd Round Pick)1:27:20: A movie that explores what happens with a therapist has to balance the needs of her patient and her son (to often hilarious ends!) ((Todd’s 3rd Round Pick)1:43:30: The Movie Crew takes this epic two part episode home with some legit banter, including what other movies they thought about choosing.

In Part 1 of this special Season 3 off-season Point Five Mike welcomes FOUR of his favorite peeps onto the podcast (an expanded “Movie Crew” featuring S1E1 guest Todd Pretty, S1E5 guest Tim Rechtien, S2E1 guess Amy Pretty and Jess Rechtien) for a rollicking discussion over their favorite Romantic Comedy (aka RomComs) Films of all time.  The Crew goes deep into seven of the fifteen total RomComs they cover between both parts of this amazing episode.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Part 1 of S3E8.5 featuring the Movie Crew (Todd Pretty and Tim Rechtien, along with S2E1 guest Amy Pretty and joining the pod for the first time Jess Rechtien).1:40: Mike gives a breakdown of what a Point Fiver episode is and what the theme of this particular episode is along with its format.4:30: Mike welcomes the four guests onto the podcast.8:50: Mike then breaks down the plan for the episode.10:00 The Movie Crew then discuss why they love RomComs.  Some seriously wise words here, including how their collective friendship began with a “Meet Cute”.14:50: The MC goes over their criteria for making RomCom selections.20:30: The Crew then dives into discussing the films they chose21:20: A movie that could easily be called Definitely, Definitely (Amy's 1st Round Pick)29:30: Can men and women ever really be friends?  This classic tries to answer that ageless question (Tim's 1st Round Pick)40:00: Kurt.  Goldie.  Amnesia.  Kidnapping?!  What a romance (Jess' 1st Round Pick)48:00: A Dare to be Great RomCom featuring a hell of a boom box and a ton of moxy (Mike D's 1st Round Pick)1:05:50: Marriage?  Marriage is what brings us together, today (Todd's 1st Round Pick)1:13:30: A movie filmed in the 90s but about as 80s as it gets.  Why hire a DJ for a wedding when you can hire a true showman with a heart of gold? (Todd's 2nd Round Pick)1:24:20: It’s cold.  It’s Pennsylvania.  The same day keeps happening over and over.  The only thing left to do is open up your heart while you say some hilarious stuff (Mike D's 2nd Round Pick)

In the Season Finale of Season 3 Mike welcomes his Windy City buddy Mike Cygan onto the podcast where they discuss a range of topics including Detroit sports, Chicago neighborhoods, and places to crush bevies and food in Wrigleyville.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E8 featuring one of Mike’s top buddies Mike Cygan.1:45: Mike then lays out the plan for future seasons of the podcast, as well as teasing an off-season Point Fiver on movies that will literally knock some socks off of some listeners.2:40: Mike corrects a major error from S3E7.5.5 (NFL Preview Podcast) by Matt Slater involving a classic cliche Matt butchers.3:40: The WGOWMD (What’s Going On with Mike D) Segment and it involves an activity known as…..tailgating!7:05: Mike welcomes Mike Cygan into the Virtual Podcast Studio.8:25: Mike C then gives some background on his amazing life broken up by major parts, including why they’ve stayed living in the City of Chicago.12:00: Mike C then breaks down a recent trip to Charleston, SC he took with his wife Heide along with the finish of summer baseball for Mike’s son at the famed league in Hamlin Park in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood.14:20: Mike C talks about his oldest friends in his life and what’s kept that friendship going.16:20: The guys then break down the last time they hung out which was at a Cubs/Cardinals game at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field and why a Friday afternoon home Cubs game is the absolute best.19:15: The fellas then discuss the earliest memories of their friendship, which were largely formed around the streets of Chicago (the “City of Neighborhoods”).24:00 Next up the guys talk about their love of Detroit sports, life on the road as a management consultant33:00: MIke C breaks down some of his favorite neighborhoods in Chicago to eat and drink, including the amazing beer garden scene in the city.36:40: The guys then go through a special segment where they break down their five favorite establishments in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago.39:00: Cubby Dog43:30: Wrigley Field Section 407L, Row 1, Seats 3-1046:15: Tango Sur 49:20: The Lucky Dorr52:00: Bernie’s53:30: Nisei Lounge (including a DEEP dive into Malort the beverage)57:50: Sheffield’s1:00:50: The Goose Island Brewpub1:02:40: Murphy’s Bleachers1:07:30: Cygs gives his keys to a great friendship at this point in our lives.1:09:00: Cygs then talks about what he’s excited about coming up in his life.1:09:50: The guys then finish up with the Rapid Fire segment where Mike C talks about his favorite place he’s ever posted up for a work project, favorite activities with his kids, favorite spots to eat with his lovely wife, and places he wants to travel with his family.

In Episode 7.5.5 of Season 3 Mike brings on long time fan favorite Mike Cygan and first time guest Matt Slater for a deep dive (with a heavy focus on the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears) of the 2022 National Football League Season.   It's packed with informative analysis that will not only prepare you for the season but also tap on your funny bone.Key Highlights from the Pod:0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E7.5.5 featuring Mike’s good friends Mike Cygan and Matt Slater (aka “Slater”).1:30: MIke confirms that Season 2 NFL Podcast Episode guest Zach Williams is still a dear friend of Mike’s.4:40: Mike welcomes Mike Cygan and Matt Slater into the Virtual Podcast Studio.  Mike gives a quick update on what’s been going on with him and Slater then gives the listeners some background on who the heck he is and how he’s part of one the most notorious Bear families in the greater Chicagoland area.9:30: Slater gives his classic manifesto on how Chicago approaches liquor licenses in the City for its various bars, pubs and taverns as well as his thoughts on the refreshing beverage Malort.  12:00: Mike then lays out the plan for the rest of the episode.12:30: The guys then discuss their favorite players when they were kids who did NOT play for their home teams, including QB Bills, QB Browns and QB Eagles.20:20: The fellas then go over which team they hated losing to the most when they were a kid,24:10: Next up: reflecting on what went right and wrong last season for the Lions and Bears, as well as discussing the picks in last season’s NFL Preview Podcast episode.29:40: The guys then discuss what gives them hope in the 2022 season with their teams as well as reasons for concern.37:40: The fellas then go through the three key individual players for their respective teams as well as key position groups.46:20: A game-by-game analysis by the guys for the Lions and Bears for the 2022 season.46:40: Week 148:25: Week 251:30: Week 353:20: Week 455:30: Week 557:10: Week 658:00: Week 759:20: Week 81:01:15: Week 91:03:20: Week 101:05:40: Week 111:06:40: Week 121:08:40: Week 131:10:20: Week 141:11:20: Week 151:12:15: Week 161:13:15: Week 171:14:30: Week 181:16:30: The guys then predict the playoff teams in both the NFC and AFC as well as who will win the Super Bowl.1:13:00: The guys finish things up by talking about an NFL road venue they’d like to check out for their teams.

In Episode 7.5 of Season 3 Mike leads another Point Fiver with the College Football Crew (Tim Horvath and Chad Massey aka the Insurance King of the Midwest), this time on the topic of college football, his beloved University of Michigan Wolverines, and, of course, friendship.  Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E7.5 featuring Mike’s good friends Tim Horvath (S1E11 Guest) and Chad Massey.3:05: Mike welcomes Tim Horvath and Chad Massey into the Virtual Podcast Studio, welcoming back Tim and Chad.  Tim gives an update about his lovely wife Kim and her health.  Chad then gives the listeners what they truly want: insurance updates.8:15: Mike then lays out the plan for the rest of the episode8:50: The guys then announced some HUGE tailgating news for the 2022 season.  Seriously, it's massive news.  11:05: Before you can look forward you need to look back and the guys reflect on the joy that was the 2021 college football season, including going back over their predictions from the 2021 pod episode.17:05: The guys then talk about some of their favorite specific memories from the 2021 season, including (with what is the least surprising spoiler of all time) the Ohio State game and Mike closing down the Blissfield McDonald’s on the drive down to Indianapolis for the Big 10 Championship Game.34:30: Next up is an honest discussion of how the guys were feeling when Coach Harbaugh was interviewing with NFL teams in the offseason.38:50: The fellas then discuss their feelings about Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments within college football.45:50: The guys then talk about the additions of USC and UCLA to the Big 10.  California dreamin' indeed.55:00: The guys then talk about where the 2021 OSU game ranks in their all time U-M sports rankings.58:30: Are the fellas optimistic for the 2022 season? They are and they talk about why (including the Pride of Northville TOWNSHIP, MI).1:05:00: Are there still reasons for concern with the 2022 season? Of course there are and the guys discuss them head on.1:09:00: Next up: the guys list their top 3 key U-M players for the 2022 season.1:15:00: Like Season 2 Episode 9.5 the fellas then go game by game through Michigan’s schedule and make predictions.1:16:00: Colorado State (including a discussion of the Week 0 tailgate)1:18:00: Hawaii1:19:00: UConn1:21:00: Maryland1:23:20: Iowa1:27:25: Indiana1:30:00: Penn State1:32:00: Michigan State1:36:00: Rutgers1:38:00: Nebraska1:40:40: Illinois1:42:00: Ohio State1:45:45: The fellas give their CFB postseason predictions1:48:48: The guys give their keys as fans to a great season (spoiler: it involves having a great tailgate)

In Episode 7 of Season 3 Mike welcomes his former high school (and still current) broham Chris Allan onto the podcast where they discuss their mutual love of illegal roller blade hockey, high school hoops, the State on MTV and hip hop, with a particular focus on the Wu-Tang Clan.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E7 featuring Mike’s longstanding buddy Chris Allan.1:50: Mike then gives an update on the plan for the rest of Season 3 of the podcast.2:20: Mike moves onto corrections from past episodes, where he comes clean about two monumental mistakes from past episodes (one from S3E4.5 related to Jimi Hendrix and one related to S3E6 (the Lance Havelka Episode)).4:20: Mike then gives listeners an update on what’s been going on with him and it revolves around an emotional fever he caught from Season 4 of the much ballyhooed TV program Virgin River.  Mike then breaks down his top 5 MVPs from Season 4 of the show. 15:15: Mike welcomes Chris Allan into the virtual podcast studio.16:00: Chris then gives the listeners his ENTIRE life story and it’s amazing (including why he is known as the “straw that stirs the drink” at his place of employment).18:55: Chris gives an update on what’s been going on with his family this summer, which involves a HUGE trip to the POINTE (Cedar Pointe).  Chris then tells the story of Mean Streak Henry.22:30: Want to know who Chris’ longest standing friend is?  Listen to this segment.24:30: The guys talk about the last time they hung out in person, which was going to a Pistons game at Little Caesar’s Arena and buying tickets in the “Drinking Row”.26:05: The fellas then trace the origins of their friendship which involves catholic school, hoops, roller blade hockey, hip hop and the TV Show Webster.31:00: Basketball is a shared love for Mike and Chris and they talk about their true athletic glory days of playing hoops at Cabrini High School on some of the best teams in the history of Michigan High School basketball, which never lost to St. Alphonsus.  The guys talk about playing over the summer at Team Camp at Olivet College (where Chris would bring satin sheets like he was a member of royalty) as well as dominating local park courts all over the Detroit area like Kemeny Park and Basketball City.40:40: The guys talk about how they used to love just “driving around” (usually in Dodge Neons) as an activity in high school.44:10: Next up: the guys discuss their shared passion for the MTV Sketch Show from the 90s “The State” and the impact it had on their humor.48:30: The fellas then break down their love of hip hop overall and specifically hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and their favorite tracks from that legendary group.1:30:30: Chris then talks about his keys to a good friendship at this point in life.1:32:20: Mike takes Chris through the Rapid Fire Segment where they discuss Chris’ favorite place to eat during senior year of high school open campus lunch, the favorite spots Chris has ever traveled to with his family, Chris’ favorite member of the Bad Boys Pistons, and Chris’ prediction for when the Pistons will win their next NBA Title.

In Episode 6 of Season 3 Mike welcomes his friend of many passions and interests, Lance Havelka, onto the podcast.  The guys hit on a range of topics, including their time in Los Angeles, what drew them both back to the Detroit area and their love of the Motor City along with some of its more underrated establishments.  Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E61:45: Mike comes clean on two HUGE corrections from past episodes, including one from S3E4 (the Nick Hopwood Episode) related to financial movies and one from S3E5 (the James Park episode) related to the Kansas hoops player who will live in infamy for getting shot over by Trey Burke in the historic 2013 Sweet 16 victory by Mike’s beloved Michigan Wolverines.4:15: Mike then gives the listeners an update on his holiday to London, England and how amazing it was as well as two huge upcoming weekend trips.6:00: Mike gives some background on this episode’s guest Lance Havelka and, in a tribute to Lance, talks about his favorite underrated Motown song.12:30: Mike welcomes Lance Havelka into the virtual podcast studio.13:20: Lance then tells the listeners about himself and what makes him tick, including an activity by activity breakdown of every day of his life as well as how he grew up in a classic suburban city that had more than ample shopping square footage. 17:00: Lance then talks about gaining an appreciation for whiskey from living in Scotland and became inspired to open his own distillery on the eastside of Detroit named Drexel Small Batch Spirits (www.drexelwhiskey.com).23:45: Lance then breaks down who his oldest friend is and it’s a power trio, all initially formed through the power of sports!30:00: The guys trace the origins of their friendship back in Los Angeles (including how impressed Lance was when Mike got from Downtown Los Angeles to Manhattan Beach solely via public transportation), as well as the last time they saw each other down in Eastern Market in Detroit.39:00: Lance talks about what drew him back to Detroit from Scotland and LA and the origins of his love for the Motor City and the city’s spirit and essence.43:50: The guys go through some of their underrated and underappreciated spots around Detroit they’ve both been together that has served as a real foundation of their friendship.46:30: The Dakota Inn50:10: Tom’s Tavern53:30: The Stonehouse56:00: The Two Way Inn58:20: Baker’s Keyboard Lounge1:02:00: The Raven Lounge1:05:10: Lance breaks down his key to a good friendship.1:07:45 What’s next for Lance and Drexel Spirits?  A LOT1:09:00: Mike takes Lance through the (not so) Rapid Fire segment, including talking about Lance’s favorite Scotch, his favorite places in Los Angeles, the favorite place he’s ever traveled to that he’d like to get back to, and what keeps him in Detroit.

In S3E5 Mike welcomes his musical good buddy James Park onto the podcast where they discuss their mutual love of college hoops, music, the performance art form that is pub trivia and then take a deep (dish) dive on one of their favorite forms of sustenance: pizza.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E5 featuring Mike’s good buddy James Park.1:30: Mike corrects a major pronunciation error he personally made in Episode 4.5 of Season 3.3:00: Mike talks about what’s going on with him, which essentially doubles as a quick recap of Season 3 so far, including a reference to a recent walkabout he took in his neighborhood, and a hearty thank you to the listener community.6:15: Mike then identifies a classic (literally) song that features an instrument James  knows really, really well in the violin as a tribute to James.10:30: Mike welcomes James Park into the virtual podcast studio.11:35: James gives his life story,  Mike brings up a touchy subject about how the NCAA left his hometown.  James then talks about his passion for music and the violin and why Ann Arbor is a great town for music.17:20: James talks about his oldest and dearest friend (the infamous Rob/Robert) and the guys prove a math equation on friendship.22:45: The guys talk about the last time they saw each other (spoiler alert: it was watching America’s national pastime).26:00: The guys trace the origin of their friendship back to a single event, a very orderly but also fun work party in 2016 and what Mike was wearing to that party (a tuxedo tracksuit).29:30: Mike and James talk a bit about their shared passion for the sport of college hoops, with James’ loyalties lying with a bird and Mike’s with a mammal.  They also get into a piece of memorabilia in Mike’s basement pub that requires a trigger warning for James before he sees it. 35:10: The guys then break down one of their all time favorite activities known as Pub Trivia/Pub Quiz and how their team Prune Tracy (EAT YOUR PRUNES!!) became legends in the late 2010’s around the Eastern Michigan trivia scene.40:40: James throws down the infamous “7 Day Trivia Challenge” to Mike and he…..accepts!44:00: The guys discuss one of their favorite shared foods (a little known delicacy known as pizza), how they fell in love with it, then break down their favorite pizza places they’ve ever been to.  The discussion covers a ton of ground on “pie”, including discussing why New Haven, CT is known as a pizza hotbed, where Mike would get pizza before school dances, where James would get pizza with friends while playing music and why they both love Chicago pizza.48:00: Pizzeria Uno, Overland Park, Kansas49:50: Bricks Pizza, Chicago, IL52:15: Frist Campus Center on the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, NJ54:20: Little Caesars, Allen Park, MI (includes a non-sequitur from James on an amazing Japanese TV show called “Old Enough”)59:00: Koronet Pizza, New York, NY1:02:30: Buddy’s Pizza, Dearborn, MI1:05:20: Modern Apizza, New Haven, CT1:11:20: Frank Pepe’s, New Haven, CT1:13:30: Pequod’s, Chicago, IL1:17:00: James then drops some knowledge as to how to keep a friendship going.1:19:00: James updates the listeners on what he’s excited about coming up in his life.1:21:00: Mike takes James through the (not so) Rapid Fire segment, including talking about when James' favorite music venues, his top feature of living in Ann Arbor, MI (spoiler alert: it’s not the roads), the trivia topic he feels most comfortable answering (including how he used to con his mom to get Little Debbie snacks in order to learn about US Presidents), and where he’d love to travel to soon that he’s never been to.

Mike kicks off another classic music-based “Point Fiver” where he discusses one of his favorite kinds of songs: songs based off of other songs aka cover songs aka cover jams. PPW (Poor Pronunciation Warning): Mike attempts to speak Italian and Cantonese in this episode.  Follow the podcast on Twitter at @friendsofmiked Email the podcast with any questions or requests at talkingfriendship@gmail.com Please subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.  Please also rate and review the podcast.  Key moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Episode 4.5 of Season 3.2:10: Mike talks a bit more about the format for this Point Fiver on his favorite cover songs of all time.4:40: Mike breaks down his favorite 20 cover songs of all time.

In Episode 4 of Season 3 Mike welcomes his all around solid (and financially savvy) friend Nick Hopwood onto the podcast to discuss travel mishaps around sporting events, a truly epic roaad trip to Miami, FL for the Orange Bowl and their favorite movies involving finance/the markets and why they're each amazing films.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E featuring Mike’s good friend Nick Hopwood.1:50: Mike then corrects some major errors from past episodes, including S3E2 featuring Nick Kacher (specifically about a wrestler left off of the guys’ best wrestlers list, the true inspiration behind one of Nick’s classic failed nicknames, where they guys actually DID eat on their way back from Miami (OH) as well as a mistake from S3E2.5 featuring Ryan Lewin.6:00: Mike then updates the listeners on a HUGE upcoming trip to London that was hugely helped plan by the amazing team at Wanderlark Travel (wanderlark.com) in Ann Arbor, MI.8:30: Mike welcomes Nick Hopwood into the virtual podcast studio.10:45: Nick then gives some background on himself and how he and his family recently moved to the fine city of Plymouth, MI and their new summer house in Pinckney, MI.13:40: Nick then gives the listeners what they want: a deep give about his career in building his own business in Peak Wealth Management (www.peakwm.com).16:20: Mike and Nick talk about how Nick also hosts his own podcast (The Retire WIth Confidence Podcast with Nick and Jim), which the Talking Friendship with Mike D podcast endorses as the TOP personal wealth podcast out there, as well as Peak Wealth’s sponsorship of leading University of Michigan sports fandom blog and podcast Mgoblog.19:00: Nick then talks about who his oldest friend is and what’s made that friendship tick all of that year (GRAUF!).21:30: The guys talk about the last time they saw each other in person which was in Madison, WI for Michigan’s drubbing of the Badgers and how Nick almost never made it out of Milwaukee for the game and then how he almost missed the Orange Bowl due to travel mishaps.29:00: Mike and Nick then trace the origins of their friendship like amateur anthropologists, including joining the legendary IM Flag Football Team and hanging out at Mike’s college house, the BC.33:02: The guys then discuss their epic road trip to Miami, FL to go to the 2000 Orange Bowl, just in time for the Willenium, including touching on Nick’s sweet Nextel cell phone, crashing in a bare bones apartment on hard tile floors, how they had no real set plans, being introduced to Roll Tide, partying with the band Blondie on South Beach on New Year’s Eve 1999, and the legend of of Richard “Rich” Grauf,  44:40: Mike and Nike talk about their feature film debut as actors in a classic, Oscar-nominated motion picture.47:50: The guys then each rank their top 3 favorite movies of all time revolving around the stock market/high finance.  48:30: Glengarry Glen Ross50:20: Boiler Room54:00: Wall Street57:20: The Big Short1:00:25: The Wolf of Wall Street1:03:00: Quicksilver1:06:05: Nick gives his key to a good friendship1:07:20: Mike takes Nick through the (not so) Rapid Fire segment, including talking about Nick’s favorite place to eat as a kid in Haslett, MI, favorite place to get late night food during undergrad at the University of Michigan, his all time favorite University of Michigan sports moment, and how he has a dream to take his family to Hopwood, England.1:09:50: Nick turns the tables on Mike and asks him about Mike’s former main nickname of Danny Boy.

In Episode 3 of Season 3 Mike welcomes top notch Englishman and dear friend Ian Haynes onto the Podcast for an international discussion of philosophy, soccer/football, music, refreshments and of course, friendship.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S3E3 featuring Mike’s good friend Ian Haynes.1:30: Mike corrects a major omission from S3E1’s discussion of Park Ave in Allen Park, MI and S1E4 guest John Baker.  Mike tries to mend a broken friendship fence with John.3:15: Mike gives the listeners an update on what’s going on with him, including getting outside more AND getting hooked on the amazing new HBO show “We Own This City” from the creators of the Wire.5:15: Mike introduces this episode’s guest Ian Haynes and discusses one of Ian and Mike’s mutually favorite musicians in English rocker Billy Bragg.10:45: Mike welcomes Ian into the actual podcast studio where gives some background on Ian Haynes, the Man, his family, his origins in England and his precocious dog Biggles.15:45: Ian talks about his best friend over the years (Nigel) and what’s kept their friendship going and how he’s Ian’s anchor for his “northerness”.17:10: The guys talk about the last time they saw each other as well as their initial connection via the famed Ann Arbor Mug Club (and it’s one by-law).23:30: Ian gives his philosophy on beer and the local beer scene (spoiler alert: he has strong opinions).25:50: The guys talk about a recent field trip down to one of their favorite Detroit-based activities: Detroit City FC soccer and fowling in Hamtramck.27:15: Mike and Ian then transition into discussing one of their true shared passions: soccer/football.29:55: Ian goes over how he became a supporter of his favorite soccer club: Oldham Athletic.35:20: Mike gives the listeners the backstory behind how he became a Tottenham fan.40:00: The guys then proceed to count down each of their top 5 favorite soccer players in their lives and why.40:40: Colin Bell44:40: Jurgen Klinsman47:50: Eric Cantona52:50: Alexi Lalas56:40: George Best1:00:15: Landon Donovan1:04:30: Denis Irwin1:08:30: Son Heung-min1:10:30: Andy Ritchie1:15:30: Harry Kane1:18:45: Ian then gives his key to a good friendship.  What an answer it is!1:20:30: Mike takes Ian through the (not so) Rapid Fire segment, including talking about Ian’s favorite beers, favorite spots to eat in the Ann Arbor/Saline area, and where he wants to travel next with his wife Jane.

Mike kicks off the first “Point Fiver” of season 3.  This one involves Season 1 Episode 2 guest Ryan Lewin and Mike’s shared love of the band Bleachers and their catalog of catchy, heartfelt and inspirational pop-rock/indie-pop/amazing jams.Follow the podcast on Twitter: @friendsofmikedEmail the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.comKey moments from the pod: 0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Episode 2.52:00: Mike comes clean on a mistake from the previous episode (S3E2 featuring Nick Kacher) about the inspiration for Nick Kacher’s very popular (and still to this day frequently used) nickname “Special K”.5:15: Mike goes over what a Point Fiver is.6:50: Mike welcomes Ryan Lewin into the virtual podcast studio for this special Point Fiver episode.8:00: Ryan gives a quick life update on what’s been going with him since he last appeared on the podcast.12:00: The guys talk about their epic road trip to Lincoln, NE in the fall of 2021 to see a football game and strengthen their friendship.14:30: Mike and Ryan then shift to the main topic of this Point Fiver: music and the band Bleachers, including key background on the band you can find nowhere else on the Internet.19:45: The guys then go through each of their top 7 Bleachers songs via a draft. 14 songs total.  And they’re all…..amazing!