Check Your Brain

In a Rack Me "swapcast" with Chad Zumock and Ken Mosca, Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur discussed the Deshaun Watson situation from both a football and moral standpoint, and what this means for Baker Mayfield. They also touched on NFL free agency overall and the musical chairs in the broadcast booth this offseason. Follow Tony on his various social media platforms: Twitter & GETTR - @TonyMazur Insta...

On March 11th, 2020, COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. By March 16th, restaurants, bars, gyms, salons, etc. all closed up shop almost nationwide. Two years later, mandates and restrictions are being dropped, but as Tony Mazur points out in this podcast, the psychological damage has been done, especially to children and their development. Follow Tony on his various social media platforms...

Geno Bisconte (and Aaron Berg and Anthony Cumia) sadly WON'T returning to the Funny Stop in Cuyahoga Falls for another Comedians of the Compound. Geno is also the co-host of In Hot Water on Compound Media, and in part one of this podcast, he chats with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur about comedy in 2022, Tony losing his grandmother and why he's angry about it, and favorite comic strips, from Peanut...

A timely podcast today with Tho Bishop, editor at the Mises Institute and proud resident of Florida's "Redneck Riviera." Tho joined the Check Your Brian podcast to talk about who Ludwig von Mises was, about the Mises Institute, and the libertarian viewpoint of Putin and Russia, Zelensky and Ukraine. Follow Tony on his various social media platforms: Twitter & GETTR - @TonyMazur Instagram - @tmaze2...

Christian Toto is a writer and author of the book Virtue Bombs: How Hollywood Got Woke and Lost Its Soul. He joined Tony Mazur and the Check Your Brain Podcast to talk about how certain figures went "woke" for fame and notoriety, such as Howard Stern and Patton Oswalt, and how celebrities like Gina Carano and Louis CK can rebound after their "cancellations." Follow Tony on his various social media...

Tony Lyons is the president of Skyhorse Publishing, the company responsible for putting out Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s book, The Real Anthony Fauci. The book is a big seller, even though RFK Jr. has seen a blackout in mainstream media and cannot promote it nearly anywhere but Tucker Carlson and talk radio. Tony Lyons discussed this media blackout on the Check Your Brain podcast with Tony Mazur. The b...

The quest to "cancel" Joe Rogan continues, this time with compilations of him using the N-word in different contexts. Spotify is in an odd place as being a platform for podcasts, not a publisher, yet the calls to throw Rogan off of the service are white hot. Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur weighs in on this predicament, which he believes to be a bad precedent as far as furthering sometimes uncomfort...

My podcast is one year old! I'm not sure how long some of you have been listening, so I decided to make a clip show of my favorite interviews from very early in the first year. These guests include former MLB star Darryl Strawberry, comedian Don Jamieson, Chef Andrew Gruel, comic/impressionist John Byner, Funky Winkerbean creater Tom Batiuk, and comedy writer Tom Leopold. Follow Tony on his variou...

In 2012, BGSU Firelands professor Dr. Raymond Schuck co-authored a collection of essays with his father about Don McLean's smash hit "American Pie." It hit #1 in January of 1972, and the figures and meaning inside the lyrics continue to be left up to interpretation. Dr. Schuck and Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur went through their interpretations of what "American Pie" may mean, but also the cultura...

Whether it be on MeTV, IMDB.tv, or other places, Columbo made a resurgence during the pandemic. David Koenig capitalized on that with his new book, Shooting Columbo: The Lives and Deaths of TV's Rumpled Detective . David spoke with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur about how Peter Falk got the gig, the NBC Mystery Movie wheel, favorite episodes and guest killers, the "new" episodes, and its legacy ove...

Bobby Valentine was a scrappy utility player who transitioned into one of the most colorful managers of his generation. He helped turn two doormat teams in the Texas Rangers and New York Mets around, and he has chronicled some great stories in his new book, Valentine's Way: My Adventurous Life and Times.   Bobby V chatted with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur about managing those teams that were load...

Ever wonder what it would be like to meet one of your childhood heroes? How about getting the chance to work with said hero? Steve Stoliar had that chance, as he worked as an assistant to the legendary Groucho Marx from 1974 to 1977.   Steve and Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur talked about those final years working with Groucho, which are documented in his book, Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Grou...

Bob Ethington is a recently-retired pop culture expert from the Akron-Summit County Public Library, and in part two of this podcast, he and Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur go over more celebrity deaths from 2021. This included a long discussion on the passing of their shared favorite comedian Norm Macdonald, three cogs in the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Charles Grodin, Hal Holbrook, and Dustin Diamond, w...

Bob Ethington is a recently-retired pop culture expert from the Akron-Summit County Public Library, and in part one of this podcast, he and Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur go over the changes in how the public views entertainment. They also talked about the biggest celebrity deaths in 2021 in the worlds of music, broadcasting, and sports. Some of those names include Charlie Watts, Michael Nesmith, P...

Dave Thomas has spent the last five decades in the entertainment industry, first gracing the stage with Godspell and Second City to becoming a writer and featured player on SCTV. His stardom "took off" after being paired with Rick Moranis in the Great White North sketches, leading to albums, a movie, and even a statue.   Dave has continued writing over the years on television, and has now made his...

If you listened to the Dave Parker podcast, FantasyDraftHelp.com's Rick Morris and Tony Mazur went over the best players who are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Conversely, on this show, they discussed who should have their plaques removed from Cooperstown.   Follow Tony on his various social media platforms: Twitter - @TonyMazur Instagram - @tmaze25   Be sure to subscribe to Tony's Patreon. $5...

Dave Parker made seven all-star teams, picked up three Gold Gloves, won two batting titles and two World Series, and took home the 1978 MVP award. So why is the Cobra not in the Baseball Hall of Fame? He penned an autobiography called The Cobra, and he talked to Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur about his storied career.   As an added bonus, Rick Morris from FantasyDraftHelp.com joined the podcast to...

Matt Rosenberg is a former cab driver-turned-writer, and he is the author of the book What Next, Chicago? Notes of a Pissed-Off Native Son. He chats with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur about the downfall of the Windy City, from the politics to pop culture, from the failing courts to the school systems.   Matt's book can be purchased here.   Follow Tony on his various social media platforms: Twitter...

Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty in the Kenosha shootings from August 2020. The corporate press got much of, if not all, of the story wrong from the beginning, causing a cognitive dissonance to erupt in the public square. Many have compared this case to Nicholas Sandmann and Covington Catholic, in that what was first reported was entirely inaccurate, and the Sandmann family sought payment for...

Adam Nutter is a comedian and podcaster, host of The Porcupine and Cult of Us podcasts. He joined Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur for a spirited discussion on the Libertarian Party being controlled opposition, the Covid insanity, and the loss of freedoms by the day.   Follow Tony on his various social media platforms: Twitter - @TonyMazur Instagram - @tmaze25   Be sure to subscribe to Tony's Patreon...

Peter Navarro is an economist, author, and former senior White House official during the Trump Administration, and he has a new book out called In Trump Time: A Journal of America's Plague Year. In it, he documents in real time the moments that led up to the COVID-19 pandemic, which include his first meeting with Dr. Anthony Fauci, which turned sour in a hurry.   In Trump Time is available now on...

Shawn Boyd is a comedian, actor, and podcaster, and each year he puts together a Suicide Prevention Fundraiser at the Funny Stop Comedy Club in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Monday November 8th.   Shawn and Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur talk about what led to him starting this benefit, how trauma and tragedy can turn into dark comedy, the Dave Chappelle controversy, and how comedy is being policed by s...

As a teenager, Cathy Rudolph adored Paul Lynde, from his appearances on sitcoms like Bewitched to his "center square" hijinks on Hollywood Squares. But for as silly as he was, Paul had demons, and they came out when he would drink. He also struggled with his sexuality in the more taboo days of the 1970s, and had a sad ending to his life in 1982.   In those final few years, Cathy got to know Paul a...

Tanking is not a new trend in pro sports, but it certainly has seen it happen in waves. From the "Trust the Process" 76ers to the race for Zion Williamson, the NBA has seen their sharing of teams tanking for draft spots in the last decade.     Jake Fischer is a writer for Bleacher Report, and he is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever. He joined Check Y...

How much do you know about the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge? Unless you're a history buff or lean conservative, probably not much. But there is some great literature out about his impact on the country during the prosperous and "roaring" 1920s.       Amity Shlaes is on the board of trustees with the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, and in 2013, she authored the book...