ML Soul of Detroit

An innocent man convicted of murder tells Marc and ML why he signed a false confession – and how the same cop may be responsible for getting other men locked up for crimes they didn’t commit. STRAIGHT DOPE: Shawn is in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but not to look for Jimmy Hoffa. Marc explains. One of Mark Craighead’s best friends was murdered. Police twice interviewed him. Police twice told him h...

If Shawn offers you a potato, don’t take the toxic tuber! Just trust ML, Marc and special guest Brian Robillard on that. Shawn also gets us caught up on the latest from Detroit Lions training camp, where Hulk Hogan got a chilly reception. STRAIGHT DOPE Please join ML on Saturday, Aug. 3 at the Cadieux Cafe, where The Smiths United will perform in the beer garden. Get your tickets here to find out...

Shawn was eating egg salad in his birthday suit before hanging out with some Swedes, ML was poised for action, and Marc was watching a family movie when President Joe Biden dramatically announced he was dropping out of the race for president. STRAIGHT DOPE: Please support the show and get some sweet gear! But act fast: Our merchandise store closes soon – at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 29. Check out our...

TV news legend Rod Meloni joins ML and Marq after retiring from WDIV. Then Shawn drops in and starts a fight by accusing ML of having no groove! Also, the merch store is back -- but it won’t be open for long. So act fast! STRAIGHT DOPE: Check out some of our new swag, as well as some old favorites, and get your new ML Soul of Detroit gear here . Marq – with a Q – offers ML congratulations on a new...

ML outlines the chaos Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could cause by joining the Democratic presidential ticket, while Marc remembers Bob Carmack and Shawn is obsessed with ML’s fine new threads. STRAIGHT  DOPE The boys are reunited in the basement for the first time in a month and begin by discussing Bronny James, the latest nepo-baby to make a splash because one or more of his parents done good. The conve...

ML Elrick is out of town again. The Substitutes fill in to cover the mystery of Craig Monroe, BET & ESPN award failures, and the Brat Pack. STRAIGHT DOPE: Erika Erickson is back to fill in for our forgotten host ML Elrick. She introduces us to another one of her friends- local comic Joey Hamood . Self prescribed klutz Ericka spilled coffee all over herself right before we start reminding Marc...

ML reunites with Kwame Kilpatrick, but first Free Press investigator Paul Egan tells Marc and ML about a state rep who may have gotten frisky with a stripper before Shawn tries zooming in multiple times.   STRAIGHT DOPE ML returned from Greece just in time to spend an evening with Kwame Kilpatrick, who flew in from Atlanta to promote Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. But before he tells all ab...

Eli Zaret pinch hits for the vacationing ML Elrick. We examine how sports has become the new religion.   STRAIGHT DOPE: June 17th, 1994 was a famous day in the history of sports- OJ Simpson’s bronco chase, Game 5 of the New York Knicks/Houston Rockets NBA Finals, the New York Rangers parade, Arnold Palmer’s final US Open, and more. Unsurprisingly, Shawn had little interest in OJ’s chase and murder...

While ML is gone on his big fat Greek getaway, Erika Erickson takes over the show and brings part of her Army with her- Jessica Dupnack from Fox 2 News.  Shawn Windsor eventually rolls in after a battle with a lug nut. STRAIGHT DOPE: Shawn waltzes into the show about 10 minutes late after telling us he was 10 minutes away 30 minutes ago. Apparently, Shawn chooses driving safety over making the pod...

ML dodged every kind of horseshit during a political confab on Mackinac Island, then debates Shawn on whether government works without good people. Marc injects some much needed common sense into the conversation. STRAIGHT DOPE:  High Energy Shawn says he’s having trouble getting going because of a change in our routine. Then he announces that he’s in a hurry to wrap up the show so, of course, he...

ML tells Marc and Shawn how he almost joined the Marines – and how he avoided wearing pink skivvies while waiting with hundreds of other recruits in downtown Detroit. STRAIGHT DOPE:  ML, Marc and Shawn get together a day early to record this week’s episode on Memorial Day so ML can head up to Mackinac Island on Tuesday for the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference, an annual confab...

Shawn comes to the studio and insists he’s more productive working from home. Then Marc plays audio of ML’s futile search for the people responsible for derailing congressional candidate Adam Hollier.  STRAIGHT DOPE: ML’s personal crusade to get people to return to work pits him against remote work advocate Shawn who says people are more productive when they work from home. ML cites the Unabomber...

The Synanon cult had a branch in Detroit where addicts played “The Game,” which Amelia Benavides-Colon describes to Marc and ML while Shawn waxes poetic about the squirrels in Ann Arbor. STRAIGHT DOPE: On her way to a gig in Washington, D.C., super Free Press intern Amelia Benavides-Colon revisits the show to talk about ANOTHER cult in Michigan, this one created to help people get off drugs. But f...

James Crumbley’s attorney breaks her silence to describe a prosecution that often seemed more like a smear campaign, while ML and Marc dive deep into defense strategy and what it’s like to represent the reviled. STRAIGHT DOPE: She might not be a lot of fun at parties that don’t involve deep discussions of constitutional law, but Mariell Lehman is still mighty interesting to anyone who wonders what...

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports stops in to talk about an epic FBI fail and Detroit’s epic performance as host of the NFL Draft while Marc joins in and ML types Shawn’s national sports writing award. STRAIGHT DOPE: We start this week’s show trying to celebrate Shawn, whose outstanding work for the Detroit Free Press was honored with a third place award for sports opinion writing in the prestigious Nati...

Did Detroit sweep a murder under the red carpet it rolled out for the NFL during Super Bowl XL? ML, Marc and Shawn discuss a cold case that police officials once described as a “delayed arrest.” Even if that was a legit law enforcement term, the delay is now going on 18 years. STRAIGHT DOPE: The entire city is amped up about the NFL Draft coming to Detroit, and ML has a story about an 18-year-old...

Eli Zaret zooms in to talk about a major league wife swap, Caitlin Clark, the Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons and whatever the hell else he wants. (Hey, he's Eli!) STRAIGHT DOPE: Marc creates another outstanding intro with matching video starring ML and Shawn in a trailer originally featuring Roger Moore and Stacey Keach, which you can only see if you’re a Patreon supporter donating $5 a month. ML wond...

A star of “Sasquatch Sunset” talks Detroit, Hollywood, surfing and the documentary he stars in during the Freep Film Festival, which kicks off this weekend. Then ML, Marc and Shawn meet two guys using garish track suits to raise money for charity before ML shares some boasts from guys who think they could shut down Caitlin Clark. STRAIGHT DOPE: Marc is solely responsible for this week’s intro vide...

As the voice of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Neal Ruhl had a front row seat for one of the best stories to come out of March Madness. He tells Marc and ML what it was like to travel with Cinderella while Cinder-Fella Shawn waits to zoom in. STRAIGHT DOPE: Last week, we had the Beauty: Reporter extraordinaire Erika Erickson. This week, we were expecting the Beast … but Shawn cheated us. Again! The...

Erika Erickson celebrates our 250th episode as we stay classy Detroit with a graphic conversation about dead bodies, crazy women with knives, placenta recipes and scandals that kept ML out of the National Honor Society. STRAIGHT DOPE:  Erika Erickson joins ML, Marc and Shawn as we mark a milestone: 250 episodes of ML’s Soul of Detroit. And what better way to mark such an august occasion than a dis...

DCFC CEO Sean Mann joins ML and Marc for our annual “State of the Team” episode, discussing everything from Le Rouge's new national TV deal to the Northern Guard Supporters to the team’s future as it outgrows Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck. The “other” Shawn zooms in before hitting the road for March Madness. STRAIGHT DOPE: What do ML Elrick and Iggy Pop have in common? Besides being rock stars, th...

ML is back from Dublin, where he learned how to pour a perfect pint of Guinness (and drank many imperfect pours). Marc tracks Shawn down at the airport, where he had to be reminded that we have been doing a podcast every Tuesday FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. Mayhem ensues. STRAIGHT DOPE:  Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, ML returns from Dublin, where he received a certificate from the Guinness Store...

ML Elrick is MIA, but Eli Zaret is stepping up in his place. Eli, Shawn and Marc marvel at how different everything is... and that's not a bad thing. STRAIGHT DOPE: ML Elrick had left the building to head over to the UK for some soccer action. Longtime professional broadcaster and friend Eli Zaret joins the show to pick up the heavy lifting. Catching up on the news: Jury selection in the James Cru...

Shawn asks Marc about Ron Jeremy and John Wayne Bobbit before moving on to tantalizing topics like eating nude. ML waits patiently for a chance to talk about his latest government watchdog column about Wayne County’s Friends and Family plan after threatening to do a door dash if he catches anyone snacking in their birthday suit. STRAIGHT DOPE: Our second-ever bonus episode drops this week! You can...

Amelia Benavides-Colon leads a tour of Detroit tunnels, while ML and Marc try not to get too scared without big, brave Shawn here to protect them for most of the show. STRAIGHT DOPE- Our first ever bonus episode is now available! You can see and hear it by becoming a Patreon member. For as little as $5 a month, you can enjoy benefits like ad-free episodes and video of the show. For $15 a month, yo...