Podcast Summary: The Wayback with Ryan Sickler

Episode 112: Justin Schlegel | Baltimore Junkyard Series
Release Date: February 19, 2026

Overview

In this special Baltimore Junkyard Series episode, host Ryan Sickler welcomes stand-up comic, radio host, and Baltimore native Justin Schlegel for a hilarious, R-rated, and deeply nostalgic conversation. They mine their shared roots in Maryland, reminisce about family vacations, dive into Baltimore's radio and skating culture, and recount wild stories from their childhoods and families. The episode is rich with local color—scrapple smells, Ocean City summers, and flaming hot takes on old high schools—all delivered in the hosts' frank, irreverent tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Justin's Background and Media Work

• Justin talks about his comedy special Chaos Theory, self-produced and available on YouTube after being turned down by major platforms.
  • "It borderline financially bankrupted me. So it's up to you. Get that shit out there." (01:41)
• He hosts the radio show Justin, Scott and Spiegel on 98 Rock (98online.com) and co-hosts the podcast The DLP Agenda.
• "We're streaming, we're going super digital... people can listen anywhere in the world now." (02:05)

2. The Golden Age and Local Legacy of Baltimore Radio

• Ryan and Justin wax nostalgic about classic local radio:
  • B104, V103, WPOC, and Baltimore's enduring 98 Rock (never changed format/owners since 1977).
  • "We still got the bay around here. Radio is still valuable. God damn it." (03:36)
• The unique Baltimore/DC music radio overlap and its cultural impact.

3. "The Wayback" Seat & Schlegel Family Ocean City Traditions

• Justin recounts his family’s Oldsmobile station wagon and its odd way-back seat:
  • "You had the Two seats in the back that actually faced each other... you knew where you'd been and had no idea where the hell you’re heading off to." (04:31)
• Legendary, horrific memories involving his father's obsession with scrapple, a southern PA/Maryland delicacy of low-grade pork scraps:
  • "He would buy crates of it wholesale... It was like having a picnic near a mass grave." (06:53)
• Memorable Quote:
  • "It ain’t the choicest cut. It's lips, ass, brain, skull, nuts..." – Justin (06:14)
• Lack of A/C + crates of raw scrapple = "sweat box" misery for the Schlegel kids.

4. Ocean City: "Redneck Riviera"

• Schlegel family stayed in Bayside trailer parks, played competitive mini-golf with their own expensive putters.
  • "We brought professional putters just for this. Just for putt putt. We going stunt on." (11:08)
• Gross but hilarious vacation stories: friend’s dad drinking iced tea from a cup his dog was also using.

5. Baltimore High School Class and Status Wars

• On attending McDonough vs. Maurice J. McDonough—how Baltimoreans fixate on high school pedigree.
  • "Kids that don’t go there... you summer somewhere." (12:11)
• Rant about the inferiority and swampy location of Maurice J. McDonough:
  • "That school sucks... The J stands for Jack Me Off because you guys have never brought me back for a career day." (13:05)
  • Memorable Quote: "If you wanted to cut school, you had to sneak those big rubbers, those waiters, to walk through the swamp. It was like the Alcatraz of high schools." (14:29)

6. Justin’s Mother: From Nurse to Biker

• Wild turn: mom went from hospice nursing to becoming a full-blown biker and dating dudes from outlaw motorcycle crews.
  • "She got some youth to reclaim... started hanging out with bands. Then she got hooked up with a guy in a biker set." (16:29)
• Hilarious and traumatic memories of hearing his mother’s amorous nights as a teen:
  • "I'd be in the next room just hearing mom just getting her inside stirred up like chili. Gave me a weird relationship with sex." (18:01)
• Story of mom showing up bloodied after a bike accident and his friend's horror at the scene.

7. Absurd Parental Figures: Holder the Liar

• Stepdad "Holder": a pathological liar and a car painter who lost the ability to sense a full bladder due to chemical exposure.
  • "You just start to see a pancake of piss form..." (23:04)
• Outlandish claims: fighting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, being recruited for the Klan, inventing the laptop — always full of it.

8. Skateboarding Culture in Baltimore & Waldorf

• The rise of skating in Maryland, fond memories at Charm City Skateboards, influence of local legends like Bucky Lasek.
  • "Gordon [Eckler] was our Benny from The Sandlot... He would go to other towns, other parks. Left the echo chamber." (23:59)
• Baltimore's still-thriving skate community and parks.
• [25:22] Tony Hawk has called Bucky Lasek "the best vert skater in the world."

9. First Sexual Experience: Odyssey of the Mind, Gone Wild

• Justin tells a darkly funny, explicit story about losing his virginity in 7th grade in a hot tub—unexpectedly, quickly, and with no further emotional closure.
  • "She just sits on me... put it in... No preamble. 13 years old... Didn’t have sex again until I was 19." (31:07)
  • "I just wish... her parents were like, ‘she’s at it again, Roger. She took another one.’" (32:35)
• “You didn’t lose it. She took it.” (32:34) – Ryan
• The story is frank, awkward, and self-deprecating—typical of the episode’s candid tone.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Scrapple Trauma:
  • "It was like having a picnic near a mass grave... the last 45 minutes of the trip..." – Justin (06:53)
• On Mom’s Transition:
  • "She was giving people end of life care... she was the one taking them through, you know, the river of hell." (16:26)
• Rant on His Old High School:
  • "That school sucks... J. Maurice J. McDonough. The J stands for Jack Me Off..." (13:05)
• On Mom’s Love Life:
  • "I’d be in the next room just hearing mom just getting her inside stirred up like chili." (18:01)
• Stepdad’s Lies:
  • "He once told me that he trained in Tai Chi and was able to jump and grab the rim of a basketball with his toes." (21:35)
• First Sex Story:
  • "She just proceeds to just sit on me... And in seventh grade, put it in." (31:07)
  • "You didn’t lose it. She took it." – Ryan (32:34)

Important Timestamps

• 00:32–03:20: Introduction—Ryan, Justin's plugs, and a preview of local nostalgia
• 06:00–08:46: The Scrapple Vacation Story
• 10:53–11:38: Putt putt golf obsession in Ocean City
• 12:09–14:51: McDonough high school, status, and swamp escape stories
• 15:00–18:41: Justin's mom becomes a biker and wild upbringing anecdotes
• 21:35–23:33: Weird stepdad stories
• 23:37–27:41: Skating in Maryland, Bucky Lasek, and the skate scene
• 27:46–34:16: The hot tub “first time” story—comedic highlight

Episode Tone and Unique Elements

The conversation is deeply local, proudly trashy, fast-paced, and wildly honest—mixing blue-collar affection, Baltimore specificity, and raw, unfiltered humor. Both host and guest riff effortlessly, making for a raucous ride down memory lane that is both deeply personal and universally hilarious for anyone who grew up in a scrappy American town.

Recap for New Listeners

This episode is essential for fans of stand-up, fans of the Baltimore or mid-Atlantic region, and anyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories that don’t spare the awkward or the ugly. It’s a survival map: of family, food, first loves, music, and the weirdness of growing up somewhere halfway between the city lights and the swamp.

Links:

• Justin Schlegel on Instagram: @justin98rock
• Chaos Theory stand-up special: YouTube
• Justin, Scott and Spiegel radio show: 98online.com
• The DLP Agenda (podcast): Patreon

For more raw Baltimore memories and raucous laughs, subscribe to The Wayback with Ryan Sickler and check out the rest of the Baltimore Junkyard Series!