The Rant

Keith beat the odds, and is reaping the benefits and values now. In this pod, he discusses his adverse come up at Cleveland High School, his officiating and coaching career, and what 1999 meant to both of us respectfully. All that and more, my conversation with Keith, now.

Al is more than a peer, mentor. He is a man of integrity that will tell it to you, straight. In this pod he discusses his exploits as a player, how he discovered officiating, and what motivates him after all these years. All that and more, my conversation with Al Johnson, now.

I’ve had so many interactions with Coach T over the years. He imbues his passion for the game when he teaches his kids, when he’s point guard on the floor, and when coaching his teams to victory. Practice makes permanent, and in this pod he discusses how his come up, how he developed Perfect Your Skills, and his new coaching position at Island Trees High School. All that and more, my conversation...

Some 20 years ago, Coach Curtin and I were at the confines of the Kellenberg Memorial High School Gym. Not only was he my coach, he informed my own coaching career, and always encouraged me to stay the game. Not to mention his perplexing philosophies the are translucent, now. On the eve of his 60th birthday, we discuss his life, his coaching career, and what life has taught him. All that and more,...

Unbeknownst to Karleena, Basketball was a passion turned full-time gig. From playing at a high level in Maryland, to playing collegiately at the University of Delaware, she found her footing, full time, in staying in the game in officiating. She discusses all of this, including her ElevenOne officiating initiative, to show that anyone willing to put in the work, can achieve anything they want in t...

After the alpha comes the omega, enter Orrin Jr - son of Basketball officiating greatness, we picked Episode 90 for him to honor his father for his own start in officiating, which started in 1990. In this pod, junior discusses his come up, watching his father officiate, working hard to belong on a high level high school team, how he got into reffing, and putting it on pause to play in college. All...

We pulled up at the Rivalries Never Die earlier in the summer to get Orrin to discuss his journey in officiating. In it, he discusses how he stumbled upon reffing, when he took it serious, and how he stays sharp after all these years. All that and more, my conversation with Orrin, now.

It’s been 2 decades since I’ve seen or spoken to Coach Nelson. He took some time out of his busy recruiting and pre-season schedule to talk to the Rant about his amazing journey in coaching that started with coaching a JV team on Long Island, his travels, his mentors that helped him along the way, and what he sees for NYU this season and beyond. All that and more, my conversation with Coach Nelson...

Herv has always been involved in sports. From growing up in Queens and playing at the Collegiate level, he wanted to continue with sports after. Enter officiating; in this pod we discuss all that, his experience juggling multiple sports, his experience trying to master said sports, and what the future holds. All that and more, my conversation with Herv, now.

We pulled up at my alma mater, Hofstra University, to record with Coach Claxton to talk to his exploits on the Basketball court. We discuss his journey that took him from Corona Queens, to the NCAA Tournament, his travels in the NBA, and what led him back home. All that and more, my conversation with Speedy, now.

There were so many quotes that you could sift out of the first 50 episodes, and it needed to be preserved in writing for posterity. In this pod we discuss the genesis of the project, the transcribing of the quotes, how it’s help me master English, and our favorite episodes thus far. All that and more, Episode 85, now.

We sat down with Jug not to far from his house, at Jurassic Park, to discuss his automatic Jumpshot, his experience doing high level officiating in NYC, and how he mastered the rules of Basketball, one section at a time. Be sure to look out at the end of the pod for our new segment, dropping weekly and daily, Monday through Friday: Jug’s Jewels. All that and more, my conversation with Jug, now.

The Rant pulled up to Brooklyn to speak to Gerda. In this pod we discuss why she’s forever indebted to John Coleson, how she got thrown in the fire, how she leveled up in officiating doing crazy games in New York City, and how she became a staple in the Women’s Basketball College Circuit. All that and more, my conversation with Gerda, now.

Coming From Brooklyn and Coming to Queens, Keith is comfortable officiating in the Belly of the Beast, the Public School Athletic League, in New York. In this pod, we discuss how he played at a high level, how he discovered officiating, and breaking it down on how he’s getting to his highest level in officiating. All that and more, my conversation with Keith, now.

Cara's father is old school; so much so, she got trained in the archaic methods of boxing that you would only see in the movies. In this pod, we spar on the mic and discuss her affinity for the sport, her road to become a golden glove champion, how she helped people lose weight on her watch, and her pursuit to become a high level official on the ring. Along with my special co-host Cassio Machado,...

Niya has had Officiating in her blood. She is the daughter of Rachelle Jones, a Women’s Final Four Basketball Official. In this pod she discusses her own come up, her mothers impact on her as well as the officiating community, and raising awareness through her brand Conquer Cancer. All that and more, my conversation with Niya, now.

AJ played ball as early as he can remember. In this pod he discusses his travels in the AAU circuit as a kid, how he played at a high level at Brooklyn College, and his new passion that he unexpectedly took on as an official. He discusses how officiating balances with he rest of his life and activities, All that and more, my conversation with AJ, now.

Katrina knows a thing or two about being courted. She was blessed to be gifted at many sports, including Soccer, Lacrosse, and Basketball. In this pod she discusses her playing days, her experience in college, her advice to kids in their own recruitment process, as well as her career as an official and running the Women’s Premier League. All that and more, my conversation with Katrina, now.

Nyreaf and I go back to my CYO days in Basketball. I saw him here and there, but we just started having conversation longer than this blurb. In this pod, we discuss his start in officiating, how he balances assigning, as well as being a great official outside of Basketball. All that and more, my conversation with Nyreaf, now.

It was evident when speaking to Nicole that there was a humble-yet-aggressive demeanor in her style. In this pod she discusses her love of Basketball, how her father has crystallized Officiating as an avenue to stay in the game, and what her future holds. All that and more, my conversation with Nicole, now.

We pulled up to the Gauchos Gym in the BX to sit down with Chiené. In the pod we discuss her come up playing at NYU, her experience coaching kids to their own athletic scholarships, and her new found passion and give back to the game, officiating. All that and more, my conversation with Chiené, now.

I’ve done so many games with Dave, and surely I’ll be doing more in the future. In this pod we discuss his come up playing in New York City, his time as a Washington General, and how officiating has given him the ability to have more than one car. All that and more, my conversation with Dave, now.

Billy loves Basketball as much as the next man. Surrounded by greatness on his High School Team, he had to work extra hard just to get minutes on the court. Those principles he learned guided his work ethic in college, in coaching, and officiating. All that and more, my conversation with Billy, now.

Growing up, Moe, Marcus, and Whyte had an affinity for Hempstead; moreover, an affinity for Long Island. In this pod, they discuss their love for the crib, what Basketball has done for them, the genesis and development of Crunch Time Basketball, and what the future holds. All that and more, my conversation with The Crunch Time team, now.

There has never been any doubt that Shay has been talented with anything she has done in the game of Basketball. In this pod, she discusses her natural ability when hooping, her love of helping kids have opportunities that she had before them, and the mental challenge that officiating presents. All that and more, my conversation with Shay, now.