125: Paul Elia on Growing Up in 90s Detroit & Family Chaos | The Wayback with Ryan Sickler #125

Summary

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The Wayback with Ryan Sickler

Episode 125: Paul Elia on Growing Up in 90s Detroit & Family Chaos

Release Date: May 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this nostalgic, hilarious, and heartfelt episode, comedian Paul Elia joins Ryan Sickler to reminisce about growing up in the 1990s as a first-generation Iraqi-American in Detroit. The conversation dives into family dynamics, immigrant hustle, chaotic childhood memories, funny tales of school and sports, and the resilience that shaped Paul’s perspective. From jam-packed bedrooms to stolen Christmas lights and Detroit family parties, the episode is a vivid, comedic study in generational contrasts, immigrant grit, and the universal longing for belonging.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Paul Elia & His Comedy Special

• Ryan welcomes Paul Elia back to the show, affectionately noting the instant connection between Paul and his dog, Princess (01:11).
• Paul’s Comedy Special:
  • “Good Son” is out on YouTube and more platforms (01:44).
  • Unique challenges with promoting it online: flagged by Google for mentioning Trump; Watermelon Plus (a new Palestinian-owned streaming service) stepped in to help (02:02-03:21).

“Bro, Tubi is popping, bro.” – Paul Elia (01:59)

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2. Family Portrait: Immigrant Upbringing in Detroit

• Large Iraqi-American Family: Paul is one of four brothers (04:03).
• Impressive Siblings:
  • Brother Sam is a lawyer with his own firm.
  • Chris is a neurosurgeon who owns a peptide company.
  • The youngest owns a mortgage company.
  • Paul jokingly calls himself “the professional clown” for choosing a comedy career (04:45).

“You’re the professional clown back here with me.” – Ryan (05:16)

• Dad was a butcher; Mom ran a beer and wine store in Detroit.
• No family vacations: Money was tight, focus was on academics, and local family gatherings replaced traditional getaways (07:11-08:11).

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3. Detroit Childhood: Family Cars & Living Quarters

• Iconic Detroit Cars:
  • Cadillac El Dorado (2001, two-door!)
  • Chevy Impala (1998)
  • GMC Jimmy (all two-door, hilariously impractical for six people) (09:58-11:24).

“I would hang out in the trunk.” – Paul (11:37)

• Bedroom Chaos:
  • Shared a bedroom with all three brothers—and occasionally uncles who moved in from Iraq (12:28-13:54).
  • Cramped quarters led to few (if any) sleepovers with friends.

“I think that’s why my parents didn’t want me to have sleepovers, because they didn’t want me to see how much space other people have.” – Paul (13:58)

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4. Growing Up in the Neighborhood: The Beer & Wine Store Hustle

• Mother’s Liquor Store:
  • Mom worked long hours, made her mark in a tough neighborhood, and commanded respect from everyone—including local gangsters (25:42-26:19).
• “Murder” the customer:
  • A regular known for his rumbling bass and affectionate greeting to Paul’s mom: “Hi, mother” (26:27-26:47).
• Lucys (Single Cigarettes):
  • Selling single cigarettes was illegal but lucrative (16:44-17:22).

“We would sell at least a carton of cigarettes of Lucy’s a day… It’s illegal… But it’s like, what, a cop’s gonna come by, like, ‘you’re under arrest for trying to support your family?’” – Paul (17:20-17:28)

• Chaotic holidays:
  • Stolen fountains and Christmas lights (15:04-18:50).
  • “Bro took that [Santa] and then threw it in the car. Back of his truck was all lit up.” – Paul (18:25)

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5. Detroit Teen Life: Parties, Trouble, and Neighborhood Bonds

• High School Parties:
  • Used gaps when mom was at work to host legendary, well-organized house parties. Neighbor Mr. Edwards would “sit on a lawn chair and watch the party” (27:07-29:00).
  • Meticulously cleaned up before parents came home, but always suspected mom knew (28:55-29:40).
• Neighborhood dynamics:
  • Parties tolerated as long as respect shown to neighbors and property.

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6. School Life, Detention, and Discipline

• Jesuit High School – U of D Jesuit High on Seven Mile Road, Detroit (29:52-31:39).
  • Detention system called “Jugs” (Justice Under God):
    • Silent, 40-minute meditation sessions as punishment (35:22-35:54).
    • Paul amassed 14 Jugs, negotiated them down via admin work for the school (36:16-37:38).
  • Detention so strict, even reading was banned.

“You can’t read. You have to just sit, meditate, and do nothing... If you close your eyes, they give you another jug.” – Paul (35:43)

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7. Youth Sports & Athletic Aspirations

• Basketball Obsession:
  • Loved Detroit Pistons in the Isaiah Thomas/Joe Dumars era, idolized their toughness (38:43-39:41).
  • Dreamed of NBA; “I could have been if I was better.” (38:04)
  • Cut from freshman high school basketball, devastated.
• Defiant Underdog:
  • Strong shooter, “my threes, I’d probably hit seven for ten” (40:37).
  • Defense & heart: “Paul has so much heart—I just wish he was good.” (48:17)
• Football and Track:
  • Defensive tackle because of “quick twitch” speed (41:53-42:08).
  • Excels in long jump (over 20 feet) and boasts a fast 40-yard dash time (4.5 seconds) (42:21-43:36).
  • Hilarious memories of gimmicky 90s training shoes designed to enhance vertical leap (44:43-45:54).
  • Paul’s goal at 38: “I want to be able to dunk again… I’m gonna do yoga, stretch the hamstrings…” (46:34-46:50)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On family achievement:

  “Lawyer, neurosurgeon, mortgage company…and I’m here with you.” – Paul (05:15)

• On stolen decorations:

  “He’s yanking Santa from the fountain…back of his truck is all lit up…” – Paul (18:25)

• On house party logistics:

  “We had a team of, like, nine people—vacuuming and we’re all drunk as hell.” – Paul (29:00)

• On Jesuit ‘jugs’:

  “You have to just sit, meditate, and do nothing. You can’t nap—if you close your eyes, they give you another jug.” – Paul (35:43)

• On basketball dreams:

  “I love basketball, and I think I could have been in the NBA if I was better.” – Paul (38:04)

• On defense as a player:

  “My coach…said, ‘Paul has so much heart, I just wish he was good.’” – Paul (48:17)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:48 – Ryan welcomes Paul to the show
• 01:44 – Paul introduces his comedy special and discusses online streaming challenges
• 04:03 – Deep dive into Paul’s family background
• 11:41 – Hilarious stories of growing up with too many siblings and too few car doors
• 13:58 – On sharing bedrooms and how it affected sleepovers
• 15:04-18:50 – The saga of stolen Christmas decorations
• 25:42 – Working in the family beer and wine store; commanding respect in Detroit
• 27:07-29:40 – High school parties and cleaning up before mom got home
• 29:52-35:54 – The strict “Jug” detention system at Catholic high school
• 38:04 – Basketball ambitions and heartbreak
• 41:53-43:36 – Football & track milestones, long jump, and 40-yard dash stories
• 48:17 – The “heart vs. talent” coach story

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Conclusion & Outro

Ryan and Paul wrap up with lots of laughs, reflecting on the joys and chaos of growing up first-generation, the aspirations that drive kids of immigrants, and the relentless love and hustle that define Detroit. Paul again invites listeners to his special, “Good Son,” and thanks Ryan for the always-welcoming environment.

Check out Paul’s special and tour dates:
@PaulEliaComedy on all socials

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For lovers of 90s nostalgia, tales of immigrant family survival, and genuine humor, this episode is a must-listen—a wild ride through Detroit’s suburbs and a celebration of doing the best you can with what you’ve got.

Transcript

[A]

Pool days call for cookouts and lots of laundry. This Memorial Day at Lowe's, save $80 on a Char Broil Performance Series 4 burner gas grill. Now just $199, plus get up to 45% off. Select major appliances to keep dishes, clothes and food fresh. Having fun in the sun is easy with us in your corner. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's, valid through $5.27 while supplies last. Selection varies by location. See associate or lowe's.com for details.

[B]

Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'm fired up to be headed back your way. I'll be there Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th. All tickets on my [e-mail]

[A]

hey baby, we gonna be here all day. We gonna be here all day, baby.

[B]

I like this kind of party. Welcome back to the Way Back. Everybody. Ryan Sickler here. Thank you guys for supporting this show. This show. This show is a lot of fun. This is a show you have to watch. I love diving into people's backgrounds and history and bringing it to life. So very excited to have this guest back with us here today. Ladies and gentlemen, Paulie Leo. Welcome to the Way Back.

[A]

What up? Way Back.

[B]

Princess fell into. Fell in love with you right away.

[A]

Yeah, man, I got dogs love me.

[B]

She usually barks, I'm telling you, at least for she's a girl's girl and she will bark. But she ran right up to you and was not, not a peep. She was crying because she didn't think you were invited. You're always invited.

[A]

She's so sweet.

[B]

Thank you for being here, bro.

[A]

So blessed, man. I. I love you so much. So I'm glad we get some time to just chill and talk.

[B]

I appreciate you. Before we get into your nostalgic tales right there, plug everything and anything you'd like. Your special, your socials, all of it, man.

[A]

Paul Elia E L I A comedy on all social media. I have my comedy special out. It's called Good Son. You can watch it on YouTube, Facebook, Watermelon Plus. By the time this comes out, it'll probably be on like Tubi and Amazon. And bro, Tubi is popping, bro.

[B]

It is. Wait, is Watermelon plus a thing?

[A]

Yeah. So it's a new streaming service. So my. My special originally got flagged by Google because I said Trump. You can't say Trump.

[B]

Nuh.

[A]

Yeah, bro.

[B]

What if you talking about in the sense that you're trumping someone in cards, I think.

[A]

I don't know how their AI works, but with Google, you were to say A politician's name. This is the email they sent me.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

They're like, if you say a politician's name, they said specifically Donald J. Trump. And you want to run an ad on it.

[B]

How about Donald K. Trump?

[A]

You can't even. They're going to find out.

[B]

Donald C. Trump can't. C stands for camp. Is that right, dude? Yeah, bro. Wow. Where are we at right now?

[A]

I know, man. Cuz, like, the people running my ads used to work at Google. So they're like, we've never seen this before. So you can't run an ad on your special because you have to get election certification first. You. You.

[B]

Which is interesting. So let's talk about. Okay, wait, they can go see it everywhere. You're YouTube mainly right now, correct?

[A]

That's YouTube mainly also. So the people at Watermelon plus, it's a production company founded by two Palestinian brothers. It's called Watermelon Pictures. So they start their own streaming service called Watermelon Plus. So I told them what happened, and they put my special on there and like, look, you can watch it here for free. They've been promoting the shit out of it.

[B]

That's great.

[A]

So I just really want to get people to watch it.

[B]

So that's it. They're not money makers. You just want to get people to watch it. Come see you, bro.

[A]

Me neither, man. Like, I put my own money into it and I'm like, I just want people to watch it.

[B]

Good for you.

[A]

Yeah, man. That's why I was, like, so proud when your special came out and hit over a million. I was just like, man, it's like, I love seeing good guys win. And it's like you beat the system.

[B]

Thank you, dude. You'd think. You'd think.

[A]

Oh, yeah, your hips up. So never mind.

[B]

Let's get into your. Let's get into your nostalgic tales here. So first of all, you're how old now?

[A]

38.

[B]

You said you never been in this seat before, so you're 38?

[A]

No, I've never been in a seat like this.

[B]

Okay, so where are you from originally?

[A]

Detroit. Michigan.

[B]

All right, how many people are in your family? Mom, dad, and three brothers. All right, so total of six.

[A]

Total of six.

[B]

Okay. What are you guys getting around town? And what's your vehicle for the family now? No, back then. When you were growing up.

[A]

Oh, back then.

[B]

Family car. We got a wagon, a van. What do we got here? What's this? Family getting around. Wait, where's mom in this picture? Who's that? A Cousin or something? A nephew back there?

[A]

No. So my mom. I think my mom took the photo and.

[B]

Oh, wait, there's four of you total. I'm thinking there's only three of you. And this is a cousin or. So that's you plus three brothers.

[A]

Yeah, that's me plus three brothers. Yeah. So that's my brother Sam, who's a lawyer. He's here.

[B]

Oh, in the middle.

[A]

The brother to the right, he's a neurosurgeon. His name's Chris.

[B]

Bro, is this real? This is getting worse and worse. Yeah, you know where to put yourself, brother.

[A]

My.

[B]

We got who in the middle? A lawyer. You said a lawyer.

[A]

He owns his own law firm called the Le and Ponto. He owns his own law firm.

[B]

This gentleman over here on the right is a neurosurgeon.

[A]

He's a neurosurgeon and also owns a peptide company.

[B]

That's the. That's what's keeping me. Good.

[A]

And then my brother on the left, he owns his own mortgage company.

[B]

Get the out of here.

[A]

Yeah. And I'm here with you.

[B]

You're the professional clown back here with me. Dude, what did dad do?

[A]

Dad was a butcher, man.

[B]

So. Okay, so hold on. That's quite a departure, these three down here. Yeah, you as well, because none of that lines up.

[A]

Why.

[B]

Why are these three down here doing? Very brainiac. Sort of.

[A]

I think our parents set us up for that. Like, when my parents came to America, they were like, we're not going to have you struggle the way we struggled, so you're going to go to school. So academics was, like, huge. Okay, so.

[B]

Oh, well done, Kirsten.

[A]

Yeah, there's mama right there. And that was before my younger brother was born, so he wasn't in this photo.

[B]

Okay, so this is also back when you took a photo and it was like, you didn't know if your eyes were closing that or not until you got it developed.

[A]

Like, we gotta see.

[B]

This is what we used to laugh at it like, Man, I don't know if my eyes were closed. Get it developed, like, nah, man. There's 20 pictures in this roll, and we're three deep. Yeah, we got 17 pictures to go. We don't have money like that. It could be two more years before you know what this picture looks like.

[A]

But you know what's crazy? Now you can run that through chat. It's like, can you open my dad's

[B]

eyes and look, Mom's looking over. Look at. Look where the camera is over here. Everybody's.

[A]

No one is looking where they're supposed to look.

[B]

Nobody. What did mom do?

[A]

My mom owned a beer and wine store in Detroit. No.

[B]

Okay. All right, what did they do before they came to America and did they know each other where they're from?

[A]

They didn't know each other where they were from. My parents met in San Diego, and it was like an arranged marriage. My. My mom and dad were at the same, like, house gathering. And then my dad's mom went up to my mom's parents, and she was like, hey, my son wants to marry your daughter. And they were like, okay, what year is this? 70s, 60s, 70s, late 70s.

[B]

All right, so let's talk about no vacations. You guys never take vacations?

[A]

No.

[B]

And why? Was it a money thing or. I mean, it's not cheap to have four boys. A six person family either, obviously.

[A]

Yeah, man. I think it was. It was actually a mixture of things. I think money definitely played a part in it. My mom, you know, because we grew up in, like, we were in San Diego for a period of time, and we were in San Diego. We never really took, like, road trips. My parents were never into camping. They're like, why am I gonna go outside? Like, we have a house. Let's just stay here. And then if there was ever, like, a weekend we want to get away, my mom's like, bro, let's just go to our cousin's house, hang out there, and then we'll just wear that.

[B]

Local as well?

[A]

Yeah, local as well. Like, we would never, like, do, like, crazy trips.

[B]

Is that your mom's sister?

[A]

Yeah, my mom's brothers and sisters.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then Windsor, when we were in Detroit, Windsor is, like, pretty close to Detroit, so we would just go to Windsor, or we go to Ontario, Canada, or London, Canada, and then we just hang with our family. So that was, like, the extent of our, like, vacations.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

We never, like. That's why I would see people like, we're going on a cruise. I'm like, what the hell is that?

[B]

And I don't think we ever got back to what you all drove for your family car. Oh, family car track here. What was it?

[A]

Cadillac, el Dorado. Oh, 2001.

[B]

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[A]

Great.

[B]

2001 Caddy. El Dorado. Four Door mom and dad, Two Door. Twoo.

[A]

Twoo.

[B]

Who's climbing out of the back? Who gets the middle up front?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Sporty one. Yeah. Okay. This is the family car.

[A]

Yeah, we had. Yeah, that was a family car, bro. El Dorado All.

[B]

And you just have one car?

[A]

No, we had that car and then my mom got a Impala. Chevy Impala. Man, I was obsessed with the 96 Impalas, bro.

[B]

Impala's still a. I mean, I know it sounds weird, but it is a classic car.

[A]

Oh, a classic car.

[B]

What year did she get?

[A]

I think she got like a 98 Impala. Yeah, bro.

[B]

That one on the left right there is.

[A]

That one is sick tight because you know, they put a Corvette engine in those Impalas.

[B]

Oh, I remember. That was a big deal. And you'd see them, you'd hear them.

[A]

Oh, in Detroit. Every drug dealer in Detroit. Oh, bro. Had that Impala. And like, I was like, I was like, mom, I want to get this car. And she's like, you want to sell? You know, Jesus said. I'm like, stop saying about the drug. God, man, I want that car so bad. But. Yeah, but we had the Impala and also we had a. A Jimmy.

[B]

GMC Jimmy. Yeah, of course.

[A]

Yeah. So those are the three family cars.

[B]

Little SUV guy there, I mean, that's like the little trailblazer back in the day.

[A]

Yeah, there was that red joint, that

[B]

red one right there.

[A]

Yeah, that was a family car.

[B]

Two door, one as well.

[A]

Two door, one as well.

[B]

And that's. Isn't that hilarious? An SUV with two doors, six family members.

[A]

Yeah, six.

[B]

You could haul the whole family, but everybody's gotta get out. Two doors is so dumb, bro.

[A]

When we would go out as a family, I would hang out in the trunk.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I was the only one because my younger brother, I'm like, bro, why don't you get in the trunk? And then he goes, well, I'm smaller. So it's like, damn, he's smaller. But also we have a lot of hierarchy. Like even now, the oldest brother gets the front seat. So if I'm just rolling with me and two of my brothers, whoever's the youngest, it's like, bro, you're in the back.

[B]

Is that right? Who's the oldest?

[A]

My brother Sam.

[B]

Where are you in line?

[A]

I'm third. Okay, third.

[B]

So if you're not going with your younger brother, you ain't up front.

[A]

No.

[B]

Yeah. It's interesting that it's not by hierarchy of what?

[A]

Not height, not weights, not success.

[B]

Ball your ass in the back. You got a Netflix version. Tell me about sharing a bedroom. Who are you sharing a bedroom with?

[A]

I shared a bedroom with three of my brothers.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

And, and my uncle at one point.

[B]

What? Hold on. You all have one bedroom?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It's like you guys, two doors, two bedrooms.

[A]

Bro, I don't even know about this right here. Feels comfortable. I might go a dog, another person.

[B]

These boys are all in one room together, right?

[A]

Yeah. So my, my. So when we. The first spot that we lived in.

[B]

Let's go take a look at it.

[A]

Yeah, it was, it was called Franklin Point. Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It was. It was three bedrooms. That. Yeah, so it looked like that.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But nowhere near as this.

[B]

What? 180,000 is what it sold for last time.

[A]

Our rent was at the time $1,000 for a three bedroom and a basement. So my, my.

[B]

Okay, so this is your first place?

[A]

First place. So my parents, they had their room, obviously. And then my brother Sam, he shared a room with my brother Chris. Yeah, this is it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

He shared a room with my brother Chris. And then I shared a Room with my brother Peter. And then two of my mom's brothers moved in. So my mom's brother got my brother Sam's room, and then me, Chris and Peter slept in one room. And then my other uncle moved in with us.

[B]

So why are they moving in? Are they moving in from where?

[A]

Iraq.

[B]

Oh, they're coming over. Not just in San Diego, but.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

On hard times.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, one of them was like, it came from San Diego. He was living in San Diego for a bit. So we just all like, kind of lived in. Yeah. So it was really. I was. I was so used to like, tight quarters. I was like, oh, this is normal. And then like my. I think that's where my parents didn't want me to have sleepovers because they didn't want me to see how much space other people have.

[B]

They got two toilets or whatever.

[A]

Don't look. You share a toilet. Both of you share a toilet. And don't flush unless it's necessary.

[B]

I was gonna say piss in the shower.

[A]

Yeah, bro.

[B]

With the lights off. Okay, so then when do we move to the next place? And what does that address?

[A]

So we moved to the next place that was 18950 Goldwyn Street. So we moved into that spot in two. I was in. I was in fifth grade. So that's in, I think 99. Yeah, that's it.

[B]

Four bed, two and a half, baby.

[A]

I remember installed that fountain, bro.

[B]

Did you, bro?

[A]

So. So we had two fount. Okay, so we installed that. We installed our first fountain. And that fountain got stolen.

[B]

Wait, was it about that size? That's not a light.

[A]

It was smaller. And then that's why my mom got a bigger one. She goes, if it's bigger and heavier,

[B]

they'll just destroy it, bro.

[A]

We had. So, bro, we hung up Christmas lights. I remember one time, me and my brothers, like. And this was in like, this is it here. They took the found again. They took the found again.

[B]

No way.

[A]

Maybe they removed it. But the found. Yeah, we had a found. Stolen Christmas lights stolen, bro. Me and my brothers, wait, they just

[B]

come up to the house and take them all. Like, are they on the house or just on like the tree outside and the bushes?

[A]

No, they stole them in front of me. Like,

[B]

took them from your.

[A]

Straight up. Straight up yank them.

[B]

And.

[A]

And because I remember cuz one, because my mom, we owned a beer and wine store. So one time one of our customers came in and he was like, mama, I have around $1,000 worth of Christmas lights. And my mom's Like, I'll give you a carton of cigarettes for them. And he goes, say less. So my mom came home and she had a big ass Santa that would like, wave like this. And she had a reindeer. She had all these lights.

[B]

Carton of sigs, carton of cigarettes.

[A]

Newport 1/ hundreds. Softback.

[B]

I think I know who got those, bro.

[A]

So we spent two days. Soft pack soft packs, bro.

[B]

Look up Newport 100. Soft pack. The. Anybody that got a soft pack back in the day, I was like, you risking it all, bro.

[A]

And they were all mechanics because they. They were on soft packs.

[B]

Yeah, Pocket.

[A]

So it wouldn't like.

[B]

Yeah, I know. The mechanic having to hang off his lips and talk to you. There it is.

[A]

Y. There it is, bro.

[B]

The extra long. And it's a soft pack. Yep.

[A]

Yeah, man. Bro, we used to sell Lucy's at our beer and wine store.

[B]

You did back then, huh?

[A]

Bro, Lucy's like, we would sell at least a carton of cigarettes of Lucy's a day. So it's 20 cigarettes in a pack. That's.

[B]

And there's. What is it, 20 packs or 10 packs to a carton?

[A]

10 packs.

[B]

10. Okay, so that's.

[A]

So we would. So that's 50.

[B]

200 cigarettes.

[A]

200 cigarettes. That's 200.

[B]

What are you charging per Lucy?

[A]

50 cents.

[B]

So that's $100.

[A]

$100 a carton.

[B]

What was a carton back then actually cost?

[A]

Carton back then would cost 20 is between 20 and 40.

[B]

So you're making. You're doubling. You're more than doubling your profit on a day.

[A]

A day. And it's illegal. But it's illegal. Like, they don't let you do it. Which I'm just like, what, a cop's gonna come by like, you're under arrest

[B]

for trying to support your family. Yeah. So we're at your house here, right?

[A]

Yeah. Oh, just so. So just quick to wrap this up. So we. So we. We set up all these lights. Me and bro took us two days. Our uncles, they lived with us. So I was like, yo, bro, help us set up these lights. We climbed these ladders, we're setting up the lights. And, bro, our. Looked like home alone. It was beautiful. And then two days later, I remember it was like late at night and I just heard some noise. So I walked outside and I opened the door and I saw a guy stealing Santa. So he's like yanking it from the fountain. And then this is when we got our new fountain. He's like yanking that, and then he's like. And Took that. And then I just see the stand.

[B]

Like, the angriest person taking Christmas decorations is hilarious. Where are you putting them? You just mad you ain't enjoying ain't. No, it's just Christmas. You ain't. Merry Christmas. No, Mary. It's just Christmas, man.

[A]

Bro took that and then threw it in the car. And I'm just, like, watching him drive away. And, like, the. Like, the back of his, like, truck is, like, all lit up. And, oh, my God, some of the lights. Someone was battery powered, so I'm just like, damn, they just took all of our shits. My mom's like, well, we're not gonna celebrate. We're not gonna put up these lights anymore. And I was like, no, mom, we should put up some lights. She goes, they're just gonna take them again. So we end up just, like, moving out a couple years later.

[B]

Just said it and got out to a better neighborhood.

[A]

Better neighborhood, bro. Our lights, bro. People put more lights on our. On our house.

[B]

On the old house.

[A]

No, our new house now. Like, the neighbors combine. Like, hi, we want to set up a little thing. I'm like a candy cane.

[B]

What's mip? What is that?

[A]

Oh, I got a minor in possession when I was in high school.

[B]

For what? What did you have?

[A]

I. I drank some Molson Triple X.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, Molson's Canadian. And you're up that way, huh? So you're getting Molson. How'd you get caught?

[A]

So we went to a house parties when I. It was my senior year, and the. We just had a house party, and the police came by. Oh, my God, bro. Most dangerous, bro. It's pretty much gasoline.

[B]

Who's throwing the party?

[A]

My buddy. His name's Teddy Richmond, and are there.

[B]

Is his parents gone?

[A]

They were home.

[B]

What do they know? Were you being quiet or. They were the parents that were like, you could do it here.

[A]

They were cool as hell, bro. They're like, you guys want to drink?

[B]

Really?

[A]

If you guys want to. He goes, if anyone smokes weed in the house.

[B]

In the house. Yeah. How's your mom doing? Until I need some loosers run up to Paul's Mile Story, y' all get me some loose.

[A]

Yeah, straight up, bro. Like, the coolest parents.

[B]

And so how do you. If they're. Are they home when you get pinched? So are they getting arrested? If you're getting a charge. How are the adults?

[A]

Oh, the. The parents got a ticket, too. They did. So everyone got in my an mip because he made his blow, and then I blew a.06 okay, right. Actually less than that. I blew a.048.

[B]

But is it because you're a minor, you're supposed to blow 0.0? Is there point? Okay, Yeah.

[A]

I try to like, lie to the officer and I was like, I had some Listerine.

[B]

Listerine.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's exactly what he said.

[A]

He just said. He said Listerine. Still gave me a ticket. Yeah, bro. So I got, I got. Right. Then like all my friends, the parents,

[B]

they just got a citation.

[A]

They got a citation, wow. But we were putting pennies, cuz we heard like, if you take a penny. So, bro, like, like people like Paul, do you have a penny? I'm like, why do you assume I got a penny?

[B]

Yeah, here's about 14 of you. You got them in your mouth. You just reminded me, man, one time I'm driving. This is. God, this is mid-90s. I'm driving my 1990 Honda Civic with original rims and I got my younger brother up front and I've got three guys in the back and I was the designated driver that night. And I was legit. I didn't smoke, I didn't drink. I was at a party, drinking water and just hanging out. And I had a bit of a cockiness to me, like, I dare somebody to pull me over tonight. I dare them. This little Princess Lily Rose right here. This is my favorite little dog ever of all the dogs I've had. Little Chapstick Bandit. I love her. I didn't think. I missed my dog when I went on the road. And now I miss her so much. Look at you. Oh, I love you so much. A quick message from today's sponsor, the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. If you've ever owned a pet, you know they run on their own logic. Jump first, think later, ask questions never. It's part of what makes them so lovable. But it's also how you end up with those surprise vet visits you didn't see coming. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance helps cover eligible vet expenses. So when those moments happen, you can focus on getting them the care they need without overthinking the cost or second guessing your decision. When you roll in an ASPCA pet health insurance plan, you could get a $25Amazon gift card. It's a little treat for you while you're doing something great for your pet. The program offers customizable accident and illness plans, making it easier to get your pet the care they may need. To Explore coverage, visit aspcapetinsurance.com Wayback that's ASPCA pet insur.com Wayback Eligibility restrictions apply. Visit aspcapetinsurance.Com Amazon terms for more info. This is a paid advertisement. Insurance is underwritten by either Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company and produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Ltd. The ASPCA is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. Everyone's of age, but we're like 22, 23, and my buddy Jeff Wagner's in the backseat. It's night. We're coming home from the party now. And he just. I don't know what happened, but later he said, all I did was like, reach my elbow up to scratch, and boom, we get hit with lights. I'm like. And they're all freaking out. And I'm like, what are we freaking out for? I know he's pulling you over because I'm not speeding. We all got seat belts on. And my brother. That's back when you had an ashtray in the car. And I would keep my loose change in there because I didn't smoke cigarettes. My brother is this handful in pennies in this handful. He's like. I go, what the you do? He's like, that petty. I'm like, I don't know if it works. I go, but you're fine. You're of age. I'm completely sober. And this is what they encourage us to do. We're good. I got this. And that dude was pissed. He got. He got me out of the car, passed all my tests, and. And our grandmother's address was 1111 Elm Road. And I heard, 1111, come over there. And I went elm Road to my brother. And he's panicking, like, shut up. I'm like, we got this, bro. I'm gonna blow Zero Point. He's like, you sure? I go, yes. I drank water the whole night. We're good. And I was good. And he was pissed. He was pissed that I was good. He's like, smells like a. A liquor store in here. I go, yeah, cuz they're all wasted. And I'm driving responsibly. So. Yo, come on. Come on.

[A]

Come on, princess.

[B]

Come on, girl. You got to be invited.

[A]

So he. So this cop was like, what's this?

[B]

Oh, he wanted us. This is in Maryland, Baltimore County. He. He wanted us that night.

[A]

And he called.

[B]

Couldn't get us. He couldn't get us because I did not at all. Not. Didn't even around like a. I'll have a half a Coors. Like, nothing. When he was like, what If. How much you had? I go, nothing. He's like, not one. I go, nothing. Nothing.

[A]

I think cops are, like, chill now. Like, I don't see a whole lot of, like, me. I mean, I don't hang around with kids, so I don't. I don't know.

[B]

You can't get her to house parties anymore, man.

[A]

Like a cop still pitching house parties.

[B]

Yeah, by the way, I'm sure they are. Okay. Yeah. House party. So did you ever throw any at your house, player?

[A]

You did play your.

[B]

Where are your parents when you're doing this?

[A]

Working at the beer and wine store.

[B]

You're doing it while they're in town, not on a vacation. They never went anywhere.

[A]

Yeah, they went on vacation.

[B]

Wow. What are the hours of this beer and wine store?

[A]

So my. On the weekends, my mom would open an hour late. So my mom would open the store from 10am to 11pm Those are the normal business hours. And then on the weekends, she would stay open till midnight, but sometimes we get really busy, so she would even stay open to, like, 12:30.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And by the way, it was just my mom and dad, bro, working at the store. Like, we didn't really have a lot of employees. And then every employee we had, like, would steal from us. You know what I'm saying? So my mom basically was like, I'm just gonna do it myself, bro. My mom, five foot one, Iraqi woman, working at a liquor store in the hood with always, bro. And that gangsters would, like, pull up. But, bro, everybody had respect for my mom.

[B]

I was gonna say, they all love her, bro.

[A]

Like, there was this dude, they used to come to my store. His name was Murder.

[B]

Murder.

[A]

That was his name. And he will come to the store because, like, I would hear, like, the bass rumbling, and I'd be like, oh, like. Like his bass was just loud as hell. And then, like. Like, I'd see, like, our Jesus statue, like, shake from the base.

[B]

Scared, scared Jesus.

[A]

And then he would come by and then he'd be like, hey, mama. To my mom. My mom, like, hi, mother.

[B]

Mother.

[A]

How are you, mother?

[B]

So, like, so how many people are you getting? Like. And how are you just telling people in high school, like, hey, tonight?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Or is it on Friday? You're telling. Are you calling people on Saturday? Like, how are you getting the word out that we got to do this and we got to get the out of here by what? So we had 30 on to be

[A]

on the safe side at midnight. We tell everybody the party is over at 11:30. And by midnight, the house Is clean as hell. So we had. So how we would tell people is we would just like do group chats or like just. Actually, we didn't even do group chats. Like, we would just like, just tell people, like, hey, man, we're doing this party. So the party would start at like 8 and it would go to like 11:30, sometimes midnight. But, bro, it was packed. And this was at that Goldway.

[B]

I was going to say this is a neighborhood where the. The neighbors see you. They're not ratting you guys out.

[A]

Bro, they were not ratting us out. I mean, we. We came close a few times, but man, we just. We played music quiet, but the whole block full, I mean, packed. And like, we. We made sure everyone took off their shoes. So the thing is, it's like imagine you have 100 people at a house. Just a pile of shoes. People like, man, someone took my shoes.

[B]

Who's got my zip? We were the kings of house parties because we had no parents. We were that house and those kids in your high school where it was every Monday to Sunday, Monday through Sunday, partying, bro. Monday to Sunday. It was every day. Parents allowed it. And the crazy part is, you know, it was like there was never an end to it. But we were like, you can't listen. We can't get the cops called. Everybody's got to park around the neighborhood. Don't everybody have 40 cars out front? Walk two blocks. Walk your ass up here two blocks. You know what I mean? Like, we had. So we were scattered around the neighborhood so that everybody was right on our lawn and.

[A]

Yeah, great. That's a great strategy. Yeah, that's what we do.

[B]

The kings of it, bro. We knew exactly what we were doing. Don't litter out front. You throw bottle caps and the neighbors don't. With the neighbor's yard is one beer bottle. They're calling. They all know what we're doing. You know what I mean? Like, so far they've shut up and we were good to go.

[A]

Yeah, we had our neighbor. His name was Mr. Edwards, bro. He was the coolest dude. Like the thing is, during party, he would sit on a lawn chair with his boy and they would just like drink and just watch the party. And cuz, like, you know, there were some people outside, but primarily inside. But right when 11:30 or midnight would hit, we would kick everyone out. And then we'd had a team of like nine people just cleaning up. Cleaning up, bro. Like you saw vacuuming and we're all drunk as hell. Vacuuming, cleaning. Then my mom Would come home. And then she goes. She'd look around. She goes, did you guys hire a cleaning service? And I'm like, yeah, Mom's gonna make sure it's clean. And then we'd have, like, nine people over. But my mom's like, okay, these are your friends. But, like, I knew my mom smelled alcohol in my breath.

[B]

There's no way I knew she smelled the cigarettes.

[A]

Everyone's smoking in the house.

[B]

Tell me about detention. You said you guys had something. It was called something.

[A]

Yeah, it was called jugs.

[B]

And this is high school in high school. So what is that?

[A]

So I went to a Jesuit high school. U. Of De. Jesuit High School in Detroit. You. You of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School.

[B]

It's a. Is it affiliated with a college or. They just do that for this University of.

[A]

They just did it. Like, it was found in, like, 1876. Okay, so it's like old school. The way that they would describe it. U of D. Jesuit High School wearing.

[B]

Is it all boys? All boys suit, or what do you wear? I mean.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, that's. That's high school.

[B]

That's a. Look at them. Look at them. Put that pretty clouds over the back. That's your high school, man.

[A]

I like fame, dude. And it's.

[B]

Y' all ever dance down those stairs?

[A]

UD Cubs. Yeah, well, that's.

[B]

Man, that's actually high school.

[A]

High school. 7 mile, bro. And 7 mile. This is like the hood. So you drive through the hood.

[B]

Eight Mile. Yeah, right. Eight Mile.

[A]

First of all, eight Mile, bro. That. That's the thing. Eight Mile now is actually very nice. Is it, like, people are like, oh, eight Mile. It's like, that's the hood. I'm like, no, dude, seven Mile. Like. Like, the lower you go in the miles, the more dangerous it gets. Like, they don't even call Six Mile. Six Mile. It's called McNichols.

[B]

That's where murder's from.

[A]

Murder's from McNichols. McNichols, bro.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, bro. So, like, so in high school, this

[B]

school, did it look like that, though, when you were there? Yeah, it did. So you had money?

[A]

Yeah, they had money. And, bro, it's all private, so it's like private investments, and they. They've gone through even more updates, so the school looks even more beautiful now. But when I was there, at Jesuit High School, right. Catholic. So when you get in trouble, instead of detention, they called it Jugs. And jugs means justice under God. What's the S. Like, Jugs, like, you get a jug.

[B]

So it's justice under God. This little Princess Lily Rose right here. This is my favorite little dog ever of all the dogs I've had. Little Chapstick Bandit. I love her. I didn't think I missed my dog when I went on the road. Now I miss her so much. Look at you. Oh, I love you so much. A quick message from today's sponsor, the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. If you've ever owned a pet, you know they run on their own. Logic Jump first, think later, ask questions never. It's part of what makes them so lovable, but it's also how you end up with those surprise vet visits you didn't see coming. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance helps cover eligible vet expenses, so when those moments happen, you can focus on getting them the care they need without overthinking the cost or second guessing your decision. When you roll in an ASPCA Pet Health Insurance plan, you could get a $25Amazon gift card. It's a little treat for you while you're doing something great for your pet. The program offers customizable accident and illness plans, making it easier to get your pet the care they may need. To Explore coverage, visit aspcapetinsurance.com Wayback that's ASPCA pet ins wayback eligibility restrictions apply. Visit aspcapetinsurance.Com Amazon terms for more info this is a paid advertisement. Insurance is underwritten by either Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company and produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Ltd. The ASPCA is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. If you're like me, then you know that warmer weather means packing away that bulky winter gear for items that are lighter, breathable and more versatile in general. For me, that's Poncho Outdoor Shirts all right. These shirts right here, they're meant to keep you comfortable in places that aren't. Whether that's fishing all day on a job site, tending to cattle, or running your kids around for summer events. The original shirt is the one that started the brand. It's packed with smart features like breathable fabric, quick drying material, hidden pockets, and even a built in lens cloth for your sunglasses. It's basically the do everything shirt that works whether you're outside or heading out for the night. All Poncho shirts are lightweight, breathable, quick drying and all around perfect for warmer spring weather. The fabric has built in stretch so you move with you and stay comfortable all day. I'm going to say this, I Was a fan of Poncho before they came on board. I actually wanted to work with with them. They're my favorite shirts right now. I've got, I don't know, four or five of them. Long sleeve, short sleeve. You'll see me on stage in them. You'll see me maybe at your party in them. They're the most comfortable shirt. Love what they got going on over there. Poncho. All right, so if you're looking for lightweight, comfortable shirts for spring and summer, check out Poncho Outdoors. They've got ultralight, original, western and polo styles. Depending on what you're looking for, go to poncho outdoors.com the wayback and enter your email for $10 off your first order. That's P O N C H O outdoors.com the wayback for $10 off and free shipping. Go try one out.

[A]

Serving just under God.

[B]

What are you all saying? There's more than one God? Hell no. Get it. Give him another job. So wait, are you being taught by priests and nuns? Who's teaching you here?

[A]

Some priests. No, nuns mostly. A lot of the teachers were like former graduates.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And, yeah, there were some female teachers.

[B]

Okay, so what. What happens when you get in trouble? So what is jugs? What do they. They send you to a room for them?

[A]

Yeah. So at the end. So school ends at 237. So at 2:45. Yeah, at 245, you have to report to jug. And when you get a jug, there's a certain room, they say jug is in room 203. Okay. So you go to 203 and you have to sit there. You cannot play with pens. You can't play with coins. You can't read.

[B]

You can't read.

[A]

You can't read. You have to just sit, meditate, and do nothing. You can't nap. If you close your eyes, they give you another jug. So you just have to sit there and be a mannequin for 40 minutes.

[B]

40 minutes.

[A]

40 minutes.

[B]

Are you in a desk? Like a school desk?

[A]

School desk.

[B]

And how many people would you say are in there with you? It could. It could packed. And if you get caught talking or

[A]

anything, they give me another jug.

[B]

So that's silent as.

[A]

And if you don't show up to jug, if you miss jug, that's another jug. So there was a point where the. The principal was like, Paul, you have 14 jugs.

[B]

14 jugs?

[A]

Yeah, dog. And I was like. I was like, I can't do this.

[B]

You got to do 14 sessions of shutting the up for 40 minutes. And did they make you?

[A]

I. I negotiated.

[B]

Yeah. To what, though? I was like, even half is seven, that's still a lot.

[A]

Yeah. I was like, is there anything I could do? And he goes, all right, if you.

[B]

We got this idea about a drive thru, Thinking about pre blessing everything. The problem is it's on the passenger side.

[A]

Yeah. Hard passenger side. Right, right.

[B]

Okay. How give you Jesus, bro?

[A]

I. I asked. I. I asked if there's anything I can do. And they were like, all right, how about this? If you help with the foreign affairs office. So basically, like, I would just help with like, you know, sending letters. They're like, can you just write the addresses on here? So I started doing administrative work. So I started doing a bunch of administrative work, and it was actually really healing, man, because I'll do a lot of administrative work. And I was working with, you know, some other people that, like, worked for the school and there were volunteers and I would, like, talk to them, hear their stories. Some of the priests would do it too. And it was really, really sweet, man. So it was cool. So then that I negotiated my jugs because also they're like, listen, if you have this many jugs as a senior, they're like, you have to serve them when you graduate after. We won't give you your degree unless you serve all of them.

[B]

Oh, fuck. So they're holding your paperwork.

[A]

They'll hold your papers, bro.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

This is before ice.

[B]

Tell me about sports growing up. What are you playing? Like, what are you playing in youth sports?

[A]

So my. My original dream, bro, was I love basketball. I love basketball, and I think I could have been in the NBA if I was better.

[B]

If that's not a written joke, it should be because taller is usually the answer.

[A]

I'm talking.

[B]

A lot of people could be in there if they were better, dude.

[A]

Yeah, that's me.

[B]

A lot of you. Look at a Detroit player. Look at you, Look. What team is that?

[A]

That's the Pistons. That was the Pistons when that was like my Grand Hill jersey.

[B]

Okay. This is just you as a fan. This is isn't a team you're playing?

[A]

No, no, bro. But I was wearing a Bulls jersey. A Bulls shirt under that.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And that's the Detroit Pistons, bro. I love basketball.

[B]

Who was your guy, man? Or did you not have a favorite player? Were you Jordan, even though you were in Michigan, or who my favorite player, man, was, was.

[A]

Honestly, bro, it was Isaiah and Joe Dumars.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

What I loved about Isaiah Jordan.

[B]

Hard time, bro.

[A]

Bill, Amber. What? Even though He's. He's insane and he's hurt a lot of people. I, like, I was like, man, I wish I can have that level of confidence, because when I would see him play and I would see him assault other athletes. Assault, Assault. I'm like, man, I wish I can do that. Like, I just wish I had the balls to play that dirty.

[B]

Because I was like, you ain't coming down this middle.

[A]

I dare you.

[B]

Not without a clothesline. See, that's. Honestly what I think needs to come back, is the, like, the finesse, whatever, all these points and three. That's great, but where's the. The Draymond Physicalness?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Where are those guys? But these guys make too much money now to take somebody out for two months because they got clotheslined by lamb beer down the.

[A]

Yeah, it's become more civilized, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's like sports become more civilized.

[B]

It's come. Soft is what it is. I don't know if it's any more civilized, but it seems soft.

[A]

I mean, because think about, like, this, right? Like, you clothesline somebody, they fall on the floor, they fall wrong. Like, it's like, damn, you just ruin that person's life. That person might have kids. So it's like, I feel like things were way more rough. I. I like the soft, at least. More soft. I agree. It could be too soft, cuz I do think there should be some physicality. But, man, I just. I really was obsessed with basketball, man.

[B]

And, like, what type of player were you? Were you good? I know you said NBA. If you were better. So were you good on that level, then you must have been good, man.

[A]

If I had more training, I think I would have at least maybe, like, because I got cut from the high school team. And I was devastated, bro. I was devastated.

[B]

The varsity team, the freshman team, Okay,

[A]

I got cut from the freshman team, and I was devastated. I was so sad. I was heartbroken because I was a decent player. I had a great shot, bro. Like, my threes, I probably hit. On a good day, I'd be seven for ten.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

And I saw someone in my face.

[B]

I mean, that's really good.

[A]

Good. Also my hook shot, I had a hook shot because I had a hook.

[B]

Oh, bro. Player.

[A]

My hook shot, because I was small, I would basically dribble and I would just find. If I had a little bit of space, and I would.

[B]

Hook shot, like a fast break when you could float up.

[A]

And not even fast breaks. I'm talking, like, I would. I would run. Not vertical, I'd run horizontal. From like, one end to the other end and just throw a hook shot from the middle. And, bro.

[B]

And we banking them. We swishing them.

[A]

Banking them.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

My bank. I would do glass, and I would call glass.

[B]

You say it.

[A]

I. I call glass. I'd say glass. I also used to act real hood, so I used to say, glad.

[B]

Yeah, there's no, like, jug, you know what I mean? No as to that either, motherfucker. Why we put one in there. God damn it. All right. And are you winning? Are you guys ever champions or.

[A]

Nah, man. I mean, bro, I mean, I. I mean, I was. I was decent at basketball, and then I. Then I got into football because I. I felt like anyone. They'll let anyone on the team, so I was like, all right, cool. Like, let me do football. And then the coach. I started to get a lot of love, bro. I actually was starting defensive tackle.

[B]

You?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Because how were you, though?

[A]

I was not bad.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Because I. I was running track, and I would get off the line so fast that the coach is just like, bro, like, Paul just found a way to get off the line.

[B]

Paul's got them quick, quick twitches, man.

[A]

Quick twitches. Mad quick. I could steal some Christmas lights.

[B]

Where you get off the line. You couldn't stop.

[A]

You can't stop me, bro. I'll run with Santa and Rudolph.

[B]

That guy got some quick switch.

[A]

Yeah, bro, I. I was really fast.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And then track was like, probably. I was best at track. Also. Long jump, bro. I did long jump. Yeah, bro, I was. I was really heavy in a track. Like, I was. I was pretty fast, bro. I got a offer for, like. I think it was like a. It was a really, I think, Madonna University. It's like a D3 college. They were like, hey, do you want to run track? Like, we looked at your times, and my long jump was solid. Like, unofficially, I could have qualified for Junior Olympics. And long jump.

[B]

Oh, yeah. What was your longest ever long jump? Do you know?

[A]

Recorded long jump? 197 was my longest recorded long jump. Unrecorded was 23.

[B]

6.

[A]

Yeah, you already know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

29. 86.

[B]

Yeah. Actually out of the pit. 42 actually jumped out of the pit. I don't know. We didn't have a measurement that day. There's no stick. They had no stick. No, you actually know.

[A]

Yeah, it was. It was close to 20ft.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

A little over 20, actually.

[B]

All right. And then did you ever do that triple jump?

[A]

No, bro.

[B]

They made us.

[A]

Georgia is weird.

[B]

I'm like, you're my ACLs up right now.

[A]

Why am I jumping three times?

[B]

Yeah, right. What about. What's your fastest 40 ever? Do you know?

[A]

Yeah, four or five.

[B]

Damn. That is. That's. That's quick.

[A]

I was cooking four.

[B]

Eight was my fastest ever. And I'm not a fast four.

[A]

It's good, bro.

[B]

It was a 489, but it was an eight. How big were you that time? I'm a junior, so I'm probably like 165. About the same height, probably. But we had a guy on our school named Mark Orlando who was a year older than us, and he was. He was a great athlete. He went on to. He. He tried out for the 40. Yeah, get it. Get that Capri sun, bro.

[A]

I did. He listen.

[B]

I'm like, yeah, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. He tried out for the NFL, like, you know, the 49ers. And he was a receiver. You ain't getting on. Jerry's there. You know what I mean? Like. But then he ended up playing for the Canadian football team that we had in Baltimore, and they won the cfl. So he was always fast. You know what? Kirsten, bring these shoes up, please. They were, look up, like 1990s. It was a white shoe with a platform under the toe. You know what I'm talking about? These were all the rage when I was in high school. And they could make you faster. Oh, sorry. And jump higher. So everyone was getting these. They were like a platform sneaker. There they are. This is what the early one. Look at. Look at these.

[A]

And you can wear those.

[B]

Oh, he started wearing these. And the next thing you know, his son of a. Island dunking and dusting us. Look at him play that video. Here we go.

[A]

Disclaimer.

[B]

This is why these shoes. See this right here?

[A]

Look at this. White athletes.

[B]

So that's his normal shoes. Boom, boom. That's what you wore. And you had to get up off the heels, and it elevated your vertical like a. It made you. So if you had to run. Look at those.

[A]

It's a trampoline, bro.

[B]

But it was a hard base. It's not bouncy. And you're running on that. Let's see. They have any. They show them actually running in it. It wasn't easy to run in them. Look at it.

[A]

Wow. No, that's not easy to run at all.

[B]

And he's holding himself up there right now. That's the thing right now. Look, you can see him. He's starting to shake a little bit. You saw. He's like, how much longer, bro?

[A]

Why is his legs don't match. His skin tone is weird. Why are his legs different?

[B]

He's as hairy as. As to. Here's the groin butterfly. Let's see. Is there. Oh, is that him running right there with it? He's doing crazy legs here. See it? This is what he's doing. He's training in these days.

[A]

Wow, what beautiful lighting, bro. Look at the way lit that background.

[B]

Hey, it's we. We laugh too and then we laugh like this. That is go.

[A]

Yeah. Wow. Yeah, I just had track spikes. I just bought some track spikes again.

[B]

You did?

[A]

Yeah, man. Because I want to. I want to see. I want to record myself to see. Because now that I'm. I'm like really taking care of my body now and my. I had terrible knee problems, bro. I'm like, let me see if I can still run a full.

[B]

That's hard right there. Yeah, tell him, princess. All right, stop right boom. See if you can run a.

[A]

What?

[B]

What are you gonna try to run?

[A]

I'm trying to run a 44 again, bro.

[B]

4 4. At what age you 30?

[A]

What? 38.

[B]

You better stretch the out of those hamsters.

[A]

I know, bro. Bro, I'm doing. I'm. That's what I'm saying. I'm gonna do like yoga. I'm gonna like really recorded to be like, hey, listen, if you're at this age, anyone can do this, you know, like, I want to be able to dunk again. You could a nine foot rim.

[B]

Segura rim, bro. That night. Yeah, I know. I'll never forget like playing on an eight foot when I was in little. And then all of a sudden you go to high school and you go back to those gyms.

[A]

You're like, hey, man, can you lower this?

[B]

We're dunking on this. We would play on the eight foot rim too. Like, it felt good. You better not give me five.

[A]

Can you dunk on a ten foot. Have you ever done that?

[B]

Fuck no. Never.

[A]

Could you grab rim?

[B]

Nope. I could never grab rim. I could never. I was eight. Listen to me. I was a great athlete. I was an all state, all star. I was all juco in junior college, all soccer. Okay? That's what I was. But I was not lightning. I was not the halfback that could run like a deer all fucking day. I was defense. I'm fast in short bursts. I can't. I'm not gonna dust you in four laps. I'm like, I'm just gonna wave you off like, you got it. But I'm quick and short burst. I could track you down like a hunt. You guard, you. I was really good at defense and also good about pushing up and playing so that you're not just lagging back all day. I was very good at that. But I was never the highest jumper. I was never the fastest guy on the team. I was never any of that. But I could chase that guy down in a short fight. Chunk. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, man. I had my defense. Like, when I played basketball, my defense was my best quality because I used to also predict where they were going to turn. And I would ste. I would steals.

[B]

Oh, bro, I was stealing sense. That makes sense.

[A]

I was stealing diving. I had so much heart. I. You know, I'll never. I'll remember this. I remember my coach was talking about me like he didn't know I was there. And he was like, man, Paul has so much heart, man. I just wish he was good. I'll tie my shoes around.

[B]

Let's put that heart in Jerry's body. We'd be unstoppable. Goddamn. We at least take second.

[A]

That's like a movie of a science experiment.

[B]

Dude, thank you so much for doing this. This was an absolute blast. I really appreciate you coming on. This was so much fun. Look, as an hour, bro, this was

[A]

fun as hell, man.

[B]

Before we wrap it up right there again, tell them about your special, your socials, all that stuff. Please.

[A]

Listen, y', all. My comedy special, Good Son, is out now. Paul Alia E L I A. Check me out. I got a bunch of tour dates coming up this year, and I'm adding more dates. You just go to watch Paul Elia E L I A dot com. Actually, just go to my Instagram, bro. Everything's on my Instagram at Paul Elia Comedy.

[B]

Thank you, brother. Thank you for coming on. As always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. We'll talk to you all next week.

[A]

You can't reason with the sun. Trust us, we've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's Omnishade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin. The sun is relentless, but so is our guest here. Level up your [e-mail] to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome, Columbia. Engineered for whatever.