Soder - 86: Freedom Rumspringa with Greg Warren | Soder Podcast | EP 84

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

Support the sponsors to support the show! It’s finally time to stop crushing your balls in uncomfortable jeans by going to theperfectjean.nyc Our listeners get 15% off your first order plus Free Shipping, Free Returns and Free Exchanges when you use code SODER15 at checkout. That’s 15% off for new customers at theperfectjean.nyc with promo code SODER15 After you purchase, they’ll ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you. F*%k your khakis and get The Perfect Jean. https://theperfectjean.nyc/ Get started at factormeals.com/soder50off and use code soder50off to get 50 percent off plus FREE shipping on your first box. That’s code soder50off at  factormeals.com/soder50off for 50 percent off PLUS free shipping.  factormeals.com/soder50off https://www.factor75.com/pages/podcast?c=SODER50OFF&mealsize=1-8&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=podcast50off&discount_comm_id=ae97cdba-b315-4752-8023-6a6a77bae942&utm_content=act_podcast_podcastads The Golden Retriever of Comedy Tour is coming to your city! Get tickets at https://www.dansoder.com/tour June 20-21 - Stamford,CT July 18-19 - Virginia Beach,VA Aug 1-2 - Portland, ME Aug 15 - Wilmington,NC Sep 5-6 - Phoenix,AZ Sep 25 - Los Angeles, CA Sep 25 Los Angeles, CA Sep 26 Seattle, WA Sep 27 Portland, OR OCT 3 Tucson, AZ Oct 4 Denver, CO Oct 9 Knoxville, TN OCT 10 Atlanta, GA Oct 11 Louisville, KY Oct 24 Providence, RI OCT 25 Nashville, TN NOV 7 San Antonio, TX NOV 8 Austin, TX NOV 13 Iowa City, IA Nov 14 Minneapolis, MN NOV 15 Madison, WI NOV 21 Kansas City, MO NOV 22 St. Louis, MO DEC 5 Vancouver, BC DEC 6 Eugene, OR DEC 12 Columbus, OH DEC 13 Royal Oak, MI Follow Greg Warren https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udCDxHy5GcQ https://www.instagram.com/grockwarren/?hl=en PLEASE Drop us a rating on iTunes and subscribe to the show to help us grow. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soder/id1716617572 Connect with DAN Twitter: https://Twitter.com/dansoder Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansoder Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dansodercomedy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dansoder Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@dansoder.comedy #dansoder #standup #comedy #entertainment #podcast Produced by  Mike Lavin   @homelesspimp   https://www.instagram.com/thehomelesspimp/?hl=en

Hey guys, always on the road. You know that the Golden Retriever of Comedy Tour kicks off in September in Los Angeles. The West Coast dates are announced. Go to Dansoda.com and see if we're playing a theater by you. It's gonna be awesome. You know the hour is close to ready and I've been really having fun doing some shows with it. So come on out to the Golden Retriever of Comedy Tour starting in September in Los Angeles at DanSoda.com. Still doing some clubs though, still keeping the knife sharp. I'm not just gonna take off time until that happens. So I'm on the road. June 20th and June 21st I will be at New York Comedy Club in Stamford Connecticut. Then in July August then in July July 18th and 19th I'm'm going to be at the funny bone in Virginia

Beach and then July 31st through August 2nd, I'm going to be at the Empire comedy club in Portland, Maine. So any of those dates, you know, it's a East coast, go to dance odor.com and get those tickets as I've learned from my fans that I don't that I'm not good at introductions. I'm horrible at the actual broadcasting part. So that's what I'm working on. I'm working on a couple things. Saying that's funny in every sentence. That's how I react. That's almost my autism is like when I say it out loud where I'm like, this is making me laugh.

Man, I mean, I think that saying that's funny as a comedian, because it's like a... But it's like a shift going, mm. Yeah, but I think I made the mistake of saying it when it's not, I'm just that in my mind, it's a cinnamon for I appreciate that or that's good. That's like your move forward line. Yeah, or that's funny, I'm just, in my mind, it's a cinnamon for I appreciate that or that's good. That's like your move forward line. Yeah, or that's funny, and I'm like,

no, they were saying something sincere, but I was trying to say I agree with you or I appreciate what you said. You just launched the that's funny where they're like, and so they said mom's got four months left to live. And you go, that's funny. It's really funny. It's really, really funny.

Hey man, that's funny. But I funny. It's really funny. It's really, really funny. Hey man, that's funny. But I'm getting better at intros. Oh yeah? Because I've just been starting episodes and ripping for, talking for like 50 minutes to an hour and then someone's like, who is that? What? In my defense, we are, you're probably watching this

on YouTube. Yeah. So all you have to do is just one thumb movement. And see, yeah. Cause there'll be a link to your special. There'll be all that. Yeah, man. He crosses the T's and dots the I's.

Oh yeah, Lavin's on it. So we know. Yeah. But this is Greg Warren. And his special is out on YouTube right now. Watch it. It's less of an intro, more of a command. It's a directive, man.

It's a directive, standard operating procedure. I thought I had to go watch it. You guys are, what I love is you're a St. Louis guy, which just to do the comedy shop talk first, St. Louis has an impressive amount of very funny people that have come out of it. And that gets very overlooked. Yeah. Philly people, Philly, Boston, Philly and Boston are, yeah, you know,

produce. But if I'm a comedy recruiter, I'm making St. Louis a pipeline. You, you could, you could sort of build us a good program, a good team, with some overlooked. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there are what Nikki Glaser, you could sort of build us a good team with some overlooked, yeah. I mean, there are Nikki Glaser, doing very well. Same high school as I did, man. There you go, look at that. She went to high school with my brother.

Yeah, it's funny when you're in comedy and someone goes to your high school and does way better, because I went to high school, my high school was Bowen Yang from SNL school, my high school was bow and yang. Oh yeah. From SNL. So my high school is like Saturday night and then like, uh, several beats later they go and a guy that was on guy code. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if you watch that, but it's, but, but St. Louis is a comedy city. You Nikki Glaser

Tommy John again Tommy John again Kathleen Madigan St. Louis Cedric the entertainer Jesus lavel Crawford Yeah, this is if I am a comedy recruiter. Yeah, you're like tapped in in a way. We got some people. You guys got a great Gregory from way back. Yeah. Listen, that counts. Yeah. All all Denver really had was Roseanne and Tim Allen. Yeah. Oh, it was Tim Allen in Denver. Okay. For Detroit. Right. He was Aurora.

He was a referral. I believe, I believe he was either born in Aurora or, but St. Louis has fucking got so much. God, yeah, yeah. We, we got, I'm trying to miss some people. Are you and your, your grew up but St. Louis has fucking got so much godly. Yeah, yeah, we got, I'm missing some people too. Are you, and you grew up in St. Louis. Yeah, I was born in a place called Springfield, but I think. Which is the basis of Springfield in The Simpsons. Is it really? Springfield, Missouri is.

I didn't know that. Oh, it's Springfield, Illinois. Might be Springfield, Illinois. Yeah. I did the Blue Room in Springfield. Yeah, wasn't there a funny story about that? Yeah, they gave out tickets to Matt Rife. So they papered the room.

Wasn't it like, like, it worked. If you go see Dan Soder, you have a chance to win tickets. If you see Dan Soder, you might. Yeah, it was like a, like, might have a chance. Yeah, leave it to Missouri. We can't do anything without having some sort of a raffle. Yeah. Yeah. Missouri, we can't do anything without having some sort of a raffle. Yeah, that was, I don't know, you know, when you, when

you try to be professional, you're very angry. Oh, yeah, there's almost this like moment where your brain is, is hyper examining everything that happens in the moment when you're mad, but you have to be muzzled in order to get a paycheck that weekend. And I went down to Springfield, I flew into Kansas City, drove down to Springfield, which is like three hours away. So many dead animals on the side of the road.

I've never seen that many dead animals, just dead possums. And I'm from Colorado, I've driven from Colorado to Arizona multiple times. Right. Never seen the amount of dead animals. Yeah. I mean, dogs, deer. It's as Missouri is like, you drive through it and you go like, are you guys trying to kill animals? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

You go, some of the, some of the, some of those aren't even with the cars. People are just on the side shooting. They just go out there. I just gotta get this out of my system. I'm fucking mad about it. Where's a possum? There's one of the snip, people are just on the side shooting. They just go out there, I just gotta get this out of my system. I'm fucking mad about it. Where's a possum? There's a lot of diapers that are.

Pull over, I gotta fucking shoot a possum. But I went down there and it's such a long drive. I was using my phone as GPS, so I don't have, I'm not reading. It's not a great way actually. No. I mean, from St. Louis, there's just like one freeway to Springfield, from where you are. Kansas City. Kansas City was it's there's not a. It was backroads

almost. Yeah. Hence the dead possums. Yeah. I got to Springfield. Oh listen man you go downtown St. Louis and the big roads we got. Oh yeah? You're just doing it in the big city? Yeah. Just doing it under the bright lights? Yeah. We got we got all kinds of, yeah. I'm underestimating Missouri. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it wasn't until I got to Springfield that I read my phone and I saw the Matt Rife thing. Yeah. Which I've explained before in the podcast. Oh, I loved it. It's very embarrassing.

I loved it so much, man. Because when you're not selling any tickets, I think like the Thursday ticket count was like 24 when I got on the flight to fly to Kansas City. So they did the comedy club, did this thing where they were like, buy a ticket to Dance Order, maybe you win Matt Rife tickets. And it worked, it got people out.

So thanks. You know, even though I was mad about it, it was right. But I was mad at the owner and he picked me up and I just wanted to be so mad at him. But I just was like sitting in his car on the way to the comedy club. And he was like, I was like, hey, Springfield is nice. I'll never forget this.

And he goes, this isn't even Springfield. And I go, where are we? And he's like, downtown? Downtown where? Downtown Springfield? And I went, okay. Was he saying like this isn't the real Springfield? I don't know, maybe.

When I saw that thing, man, you posted something about it. Well, I talked about it on a podcast. It's just so great, because it's that thing when you're not selling tickets, man, you just feel like. You feel bad for people coming out. Everything that I'm angry about is my fault. Yes.

And like, you ever been in a club when like, like though it's not a big crowd, but they still see like four people over here and then four people, 50 people. And then your mind is like, hey guys, can we get these together? And you're like, I can't say anything because this would not be a problem.

If it was full, it's not a problem. Guys, before we start this, let's punch you into a little pile of leaves, little pile of leaves so we can all jump into them. But this was crazy, it was like, this was, I remember seeing you talking about, because it was, I've had these things. Two or three years ago.

Yeah, I've had these things happen when I was like, I knew, my career's gone up and down a few times and I was like, this is the down and you need to live in the down. But this was going on when you were on the Showtime thing. Yeah, I was on a show on Showtime. And it was great and it was. Yeah, but that didn't really.

It was still, as a guy like me watching, I was like, I don't know if I ever told you, man, I thought you were great in that thing. I watched all the episodes and it was so cool. It was a guy like me watching. I was like, I don't know if I ever told you, man. I thought you were great in that thing. I watched all the episodes and it was so cool. It was a fun job. Cause you can see sometimes they're like, oh, they put the comic in the, you're just an actor, man. I think that was, I think that was a good job

by Brian and David who ran the show. They loved standups. So they put me and Birbiglia and Alan Havy, Samaril, a couple other people. They did a really good job of- Havy's St. Louis. Yeah. Very, Havy's-

Havy's St. Louis? Yeah, not, he's like born there and spent like 10 years there, but he's a big Cardinal fan. But yeah- Cause he's also a Dolphins fan. Yeah, he's not like- We talk about the Dolphins cause of McDaniel.

Yeah, I think he only spent like 10 years, but he's a big time Cardinal fan, yeah. Yeah, that St. Louis is, but you wrestle. Here's always the thing that I'm amazed. And I'm, you know, you grew up wrestling. I'm always amazed when comics turned out to like wrestlers to comics. Yeah. Vecchione. Yeah. Like a brother. Yeah. Lived with him for 10 years. Yeah, and then when I found out because you're so funny and it's in wrestling. I learned very early on Are you from a wrestling family? Yeah, my dad was my high school coach. Okay. Yeah, so how early did you start? Five or six. Yeah. Yeah, I started at five. Did you and I didn't have that dog in me. Yeah, I Started it cuz I loved pro wrestling. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, And I didn't have that dog in me. Yeah. I started it because I love pro wrestling. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I

didn't. Once I saw what it was, I wasn't against it. I didn't like pull us out. I was like, Oh, yeah, it's wrestling. But the first meet where you go against a kid with a buzzed head. Oh, yeah. And he's buzzed his head. So it's specifically prickly to slam into your head and you don't have a dad, you have a mom and Murphy Brown shoulder pads going like, come on dad. And I'm just getting my fucking face driven into the mat.

Yeah I wish they could have panned over to that kid's parents. They don't look like your mom. No. Yeah it's like get mom. Get him. Yeah. Get him. Especially like some guy from like Sterling, Colorado. And they're like, you want to eat steak? You gotta kill the cow. And meanwhile, my mom's like, no matter how you do, I'm going to be proud of you. Shut up. These kids, I don't think people understand. I played football. I've sucked at every sport.

I've sucked at a lot of them. One I didn't, but yeah, the rest of them I was. Wrestling, baseball, football. I got to play them all and I got to suck at all of them. Because what I realized was I was the funniest kid on the team every time. And that's probably, it's just like, oh, I haven't found my thing was comedy comedy. It just took a lot of sports. I just love sports. Because I'm very competitive. But wrestling is the only sport where like, you see it young with kids.

Like the way they talked about Spartans. Like when they would find out if a kid had it in them. Would they be like, kill your animal. And the kid's like, me? I'm like, but that's my friend. I. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They're like, you see that boy right there? You're gonna kill him. You're gonna kill that boy, unless he wears a robe and tells fancy stories. But so when you were little, they got you in, did you have brothers and sisters? Yeah, I was the oldest though.

Okay, so you were the first one in? Yeah, and I was like, my dad was a coach and I remember going to his practices, you know, it's fun. You get around the older kids or whatever. And I think he was coaching junior high. And I think the first time he put me in, I didn't know what I was doing. And then he got me going in little league,

but he said early on the problem was like, they would match you up based on like, you know, this kid's the most experienced kid, the best kid or whatever. And I just started and they would put like five stars next to my name, because my dad. And then. That's crazy.

Because in my day I was like, no, he doesn't, he just started. Yeah. Yeah, but I. So your dad didn't have the like, you better earn this last name, little bit. He didn't have that. Yeah.

But he had, I mean, he pushed me. He was a wrestling coach. Like, he pushed me hard enough. Watching wrestlers condition. Any athlete will tell you that they're like, Oh my God. Yeah. Summer football. When we would come in and see the wrestlers and you're like, no thanks.

Yeah. I mean, to be honest, like it's funny cause like the, some of the conditioning stuff that you do around wrestling looks like the sexiest as far as like that's the cra- But the hardest part about condi- is just wrestling. Like that's when like just- Your whole body. Just wrestling in college was like,

it was just brutal. It was- Was it in high school kind of a thing? Cause I know Missouri is good. Missouri is a good wrestling. It's not an Iowa. Right. It's not a Ohio or Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, yeah a Ohio or Pennsylvania. What are the three best? Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa and high school

was like the best high school wrestling is Pennsylvania by far. Ohio right there. Jersey, probably there. Oh my God, the parents in that state. Oh, it's great. Gotta be a nightmare. Awesome. Can we go to the Jersey wrestling championships? Yeah, yeah. You're coming with. Yeah. We should and go with, and Vecchione would go too, man. Yeah.

He could be our Ginzo translator. Hey, tell them what kind of tomatoes you like, Mikey. And then they go, all right, I'll talk to him. You know, like it's like those documentaries in Afghanistan where they go and talk to someone and they go, this those documentaries in Afghanistan where they go talk to someone and they go this village leader will talk to you. Some guy with tweezed eyebrows coming out going like my son's in the 145. Honestly he's a beast.

Man that is it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Please go to him. Yeah, yeah. He's saying he respects you. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Now come here. Kiss him on both cheeks. Now ask about his boy. Now ask about his son. So Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa. I mean Ohio, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Jersey, California, just cause of the sheer volume and it's pockets like it's Fresno and Bakersfield. Shout out Fresno.

That's where Trish grew. That's where my mom grew up. Really? Yeah, Fresno and Bakersfield. Shout out Fresno. That's where Trish grew. That's where my mom grew up. Really? Yeah, Fresno High, go Warriors. Yeah, yeah, Fresno, Bakersfield, and some- Yeah, Inland California. Yeah, yeah, some of those- Not the sexy part.

No, no, no, no, no. There's no one from San Diego. No, no, no, no. Well, down south- Like Huntington Beach? Not probably OC type stuff, but like, yeah, but like there is something down in down south that's pretty good. But about the Bay area, just passive aggressive wrestling.

Yeah. I'm going to take your, I don't know. I'll take your leg if you want me to do it. Stop passive aggressive wrestling. Yeah. Yeah. I got, I don't know. I guess I'll get in position. I guess dude. Oh, summer is here. So you know what that means. Got more sun, more time to do all the things that make summer so special. And the number one thing you don't want to be doing all summer is spending hours cooking inside. You know, barbecue. Sure. But you can't barbecue every day. Well that's where factor comes in. Factors, chef crafted, dietitian approved meals.

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first-order plus free shipping free returns and free exchanges when you use the code SOTR 15 at checkout that's 15% off for new customers at the perfect gene dot NYC with promo code SOTR 15 after your purchase they're gonna ask where you heard about them please support our show and let them know that we sent you. Perfect gene. Go get your legs into something sweet. It's amazing to me because when you're five years old and you start like that, so your dad's a coach,

so you kind of have a roadmap to it, is a way of being like, did you find that to be fun or pressure? Or both? I think when I was younger, it was fun. Yeah. Because you're just like, and I was, pretty quickly I was just winning all the time

because I had a dad who was a coach and I had a little of that killer thing, I think. Dude, you 100% have it. Yeah. You 100% have it. I mean, I think, my dad told me like at one point, I don't know, I do remember this, that I was probably nine

and I was good and I was sick, I was sick, man. Like the flu, sick as a kid, you know, and we went to a match or whatever and I think I just wanted to go because I didn't want to. And he was like, and I wrestled a couple kids, you know, that I was like. Me's, wrestled a couple Me's.

It was like this is no big deal I go to we get to get McDonald's. Yeah Yeah, all fours. I look at my water. Do I get a big Mac if I do the next thing? I know my arms can take it out The fucking man she come over the top Go on the wrist. It's more like there. All right. Yeah The helplessness of being beaten wrestling is you just go like, okay.

Yeah, yeah. It's like rolling over. I've been there. I mean, I've been there a lot, but I- Well, that's crazy when you get, we'll talk about that. Yeah. When you get to that level and you're being main handled,

you're dealing with someone that's like a Dagestanian. Yeah, man, it's great that you know about those guys. But those guys are just like unbelievable at wrestling. Oceti and Dagestan. So it was like, I beat a couple couple kids and then there was this kid Greg Montgomery I still remember my dad was like, I hope you're alright like you're gonna have to wrestle You know, they were like a next to Montgomery and I was like kind of like I'm pretty I'm sure his name I was I knew everybody was named. Yeah, and I was like, I'm sick

You know and I was sick and he sort of had this I remember him like I'm young and he was like You know sort of had this, I remember him like, I'm young, and he was like, sort of that, listen son, there's some times in life when you have to do stuff that you don't want to do, and I know you don't want to wrestle this guy, I know you're feeling bad, but this is a test. And he didn't say it in like, he just said it sort of that discussion way,

like this is a- In a way I assume a father would. Yes, yeah. I would assume that's how a father would say it. But you get a life lesson. And I'm sure at the time I was like but I don't wanna you know I was like, well, you know, I know you don't want and that's part of why even if my mother had been there She'd have killed him. Yeah But he has the flu. Yeah. Yeah, so I remember wrestling that kid and beating him and but it was like three to two and a

Grind out and my dad to this day I'm not sure he's ever been as proud of me as that like it He's so when you're nine years old like he was like feel incredible Yeah, and he I mean I and I he was like you don't have to go to school tomorrow You don't like he was like I mean also you have the flu What's crazy to think about that is you beat like three kids at wrestling but also gave them the flu. Yeah So like those three kids got dominated like Like not even, not even Gregory. Gregory's like, I put up a good fight. I grinded just the kid. That's like me. That's like, yeah, he, uh, he kicked the shit out of me and now I can't keep down

water. You're taking a perfectly beautiful story. But you made those boys very sick. No dude, I think that's incredible to have that moment. To be good at something like that and to share a moment with your dad where he's like, Greg, this sucks. You're going to grind it out. That probably to him was as important of a moment.

Because he's a coach, but more importantly, he's a dad. He told me about another time, I think I was like seven or something, and they put me with some kid who I was in over my head, and I think it was like, I was young enough where I think I was crying or something, I got worked, and then he was like, well, you wanna go home or whatever, and I was like, no, who's the next guy or whatever, you know, and he was like,

all right, we might have some. That's great. That's like the movie in the biopic where they go, honey, you might want to see this. Greg wants to wrestle again. When was he your coach? What age is he? High school.

Oh, which is that's where it gets real. Yeah, high school. And was that fun? It was at times. I mean, now it's great because we go to the NCAA wrestling tournament together. We have this thing. It was rough a few times, more than a few times.

Well, he's your dad, but your coach, so he's competitive. So he had to, you know. You're very good. Your job is to, I think, you know, make somebody go past the limitations or, you know, or like not be satisfied with you. Like also you don't have to see your coach at dinner. No. When you go home.

No. Or you don't have to go to grandma's on Saturday for lunch with your coach after he just told you that you gave a week of shit practice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then, and then now I think it was like, it was harder on him because. Well, he had to be a dick.

And he had to contend with my mother, who was like your mom, and my mother was a writer. Yeah, so funny. And no, she would go to my matches and read a book. That's funny. Unless I was wrestling, and then my mother has no interest in athletics. She was proud of you. Yeah, she was there. So she was not my dad.

And so when like the things that that might make it worse is when you have a coach's wife with a coach, cause then you're going like, now you have no reprieve. Now it's all, you know, like that was the one where I'd see the literally, the buzzhead kid you were talking about, like, when it's the mom, we don't bring up losers in this family. We ain't about losing. What was that? He's gonna have to get choked to come.

He's getting it from his mom. My mom could care less. This guy's gonna beat up hookers. He's like, this guy has no emotional connection to women. That's a problem. When you see a mom being mean to a little boy. Oh my God. You're gonna get another lady hit. You don't understand. I remember, and now I remember like as a kid, and again, we'll get to the part I

got worked bad. I'm always, just to put a bit in this, and we're gonna come back to this. These are my favorite stories about Vecchione telling me about just getting man-hated with Penn State where he'd be like, it sucked. Vecchione's insane. Vecchione was a good high school wrestler. I think he got second or first in the state. Second in Florida. Second in Florida. I noticed that. And he was a guy that should have gone to, because you could tell he's a maniac and he's strong as an ox. he's a maniac and he's strong as an ox. But he started wrestling late.

He's a guy where you'd be like, okay, this kid needs to go on a partial scholarship to a low-level D1 school. That'll work out. And then just be in the room. No, Vecchione decides to walk on at Penn State, which was now the biggest dynasty in college sports.

Don't they have, isn't Sanderson their coach? Yeah, yeah. He's their, when Decchione was there, it wasn't that. I know. But it was top three. He had a Japanese guy, a Japanese coach? Tadakihata, I think, was one of the guys that was, he was a legend. Yeah.

And he would just tell me, he'd be like, I would just get rant. They would be like, all right, Mike, you're with this all-American, and then this character's just like, wham, wham, like, Hulk with Loki. Like, and I had a little more of a pedigree. I had wrestled some of those international, or national tournaments. I had, you know, I won state a couple times.

I started when I was five. So I would not have gone to Penn State. I would not have gone there. Really? Even though you went to Missouri, which is big A. Missouri was, at the time. I would not have gone there. Really? Even though you went to Missouri, which is big. Missouri was at the time. Fucking big shit.

We were the basement of the big eight back then. Now they're good. Yeah. Because big eight, you're going against Nebraska, Oklahoma. Five teams wrestled in the big eight. Can I, I'm going to see if I can guess them. Oklahoma. Yeah.

Nebraska. Yeah. Texas. Nope. No, it was big eight. Texas was Southwest Conference. Oh yeah. They were still against, they were going to, all right. Nebraska. Yeah. Texas. Nope. No, it was Big Eight. Texas was Southwest Conference. Oh yeah, they were still against, they were going to, all right, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri.

Two more. Kansas? Nope, you're missing the big one. They're missing two big. Colorado didn't. No, they did though at one time. They did? Yeah.

All right, Big Eight, and I'm missing two of the big ones. You're missing the two best ones. Iowa State. Iowa State. Iowa State one time. They did. Yeah. All right big eight and I'm missing two of the big two You're missing the two best Iowa State. I was state. I was state cyclones cyclones So that's four and then the fifth one the best one the best one by far Where I got humiliated no way brutal I Kansas State, okay state Oklahoma State, how the fuck did I not remember? Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri.

Iowa State, Nebraska. Iowa State, those are all corn-fed white boys. In the late 80s, we were distant fifth in that group. Those four teams, though, were the best in there. Top six or seven in the country. Now at the time that's Dan Gable at Iowa. He was at Iowa. So they're winning the big 10. They're winning the big 10 nationals half. Well, they're either Oklahoma State. I think

Arizona State snuck in there one year. Yeah. Yeah. So that's crazy because you're getting like Iowa and Iowa State, which still are still great programs, right? Right. Right. I would. Yeah. Iowa States finally come back I would say took a dive for a long time. I was always top three or four So this is such a world that's so fascinating because college football Billion dollar industry. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah college basketball billion dollar industry college baseball pretty big College basketball, billion dollar industry. College baseball, pretty big, million dollar industry. No, I don't think so. They've gotten bigger with the ESPN representation.

Really? But what I'm fascinated by is college wrestling. Yeah. Because this is like the pros. Yeah. Granted, there's Olympic wrestling and there's other forms of professional wrestling. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But as a pro wrestling fan, it's always fun to go to college. other forms of professional wrestling. As a pro wrestling fan, it's always fun to go pro wrestling. But college is, Vecchione and I wanted to go to Nationals one year and it sold out. He, anytime you want to go tell me. Yes. He came one time. Oh, he told me that. Cause I was like, at the St. Louis guy,

I was like, you gotta book Mike this week. You know, so I remember that he's working the funny bone and got to go and we went and yeah, it was awesome. So when you're in high school and your dad's your coach and you're winning, there's obviously pressure. It's fun. Cause you're winning. Yeah. There's pressure. Cause it's your dad. Was he at all like the recruiting process when Missouri came to you, were they the biggest school that looked at you? Well, they came. You know, they offered me a scholarship. I always think it's crazy how much fun it's got to be to be recruited.

I was someone that wants to be complimented. Yeah. You just want someone coming to your house going, but I was regionally recruited. Like it wasn't like I was not. Did you win state times? Yeah. Yeah great, but in Missouri and then so I you know, so Missouri southern, Illinois Missouri State some other schools and then West Point and I went to West Point my first year of college like I want you really yeah I want you did the Shane Gillis. Yeah, we went for a year then bail. I stayed for the full year though You did a day. Yeah, I just did our he's your fears

Storytelling show he tells the story about how he did it. I love it. Yeah, you did like a day or two Yeah, so you did a year a full year at West Point. Yeah, and how was that? It was brutal hard Yeah, it was hard and you're in the army. You're in the army and it's hard in a way That's not cute or funny until 20 years later. It's like you realize it's very funny, but like it was their days You're just like every day every day every day my cousin Jack had gone in the seminary and left and he told me and Everybody's giving you advice and he's like hey, man Just so you know the one thing that got me through this was I told myself

I can't quit if I want to and I was like, what are you talking about? And then like three weeks and I was like, this is the only thing that's getting like I And I just sort of said to myself I'm gonna make it through the first year and then I but I would be like I could leave I could leave You know, yeah, I mean the you made it a year. What was the moment where you decided to leave? Okay, so. Thank you for your service. They were all, yeah. Yeah, my.

Should I get that out there? As a vet? As a vet. Jerk, like my friends that are comics, Mark Gross, Isaac Witte, these two very funny guys, every year on Veterans Day. That's fun. Every year.

That's fun. I might be a hack and start texting Shane. It is, please, it is, it is, yeah, you should. I mean, it is a paragraph. Oh, I might be a hack and start texting. It is please it is it is yet We should ever I mean it is a paragraph Of like and I'll be like and then I'll just like you guys are jerks. No, no, no So the day I knew I was I was gonna leave and now I had thought about it a lot I love you. And I'm proud to be an American. So. The day I knew I was gonna leave, and now I had thought about it a lot, okay? Cause I was, I wanted to party a little in,

I was pretty straight in high school. I wanted to party and meet girls in college. I was getting in trouble, major trouble. Pre-phone college? I was, I got to go do too. Yeah, I was getting in major trouble at West Point for talking in formation. My friends were doing drugs and everything, everything,

drinking, binge drinking. You know what happens, people from Springfield, Missouri, they die of drug overdose. Yes. Because they do so much other crap. And I'm getting in trouble for talking online. You know, like. That's so fucking funny. But I remember, so we get done with the whole school year, I'm getting in trouble for talking online. That's so fucking funny.

But I remember, so we get done with the whole school year and I'm like, I made it. And then that summer we were going to get to go home for two weeks. And I was like so fired up. And I was still, every day at that point I was like, should I stay or should I not? And that's somewhere we're going to go drive tanks for two months. That might keep me coming back. And this is what I was thinking. I was like, we're gonna drive tanks,

I'm gonna get to go home and party with my friends and be the big shot. Could you go do a little rum spring? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go get a little army rum spring in there. Yeah, rum spring. See all those freedoms you're fighting for. Yeah, it was exactly like that too, man.

It was exactly like that. Oh, you got a big old fat line. Christmas was exactly like that. You got a fat line of freedom and you're fighting for. It was exactly like that too, man. It was exactly like that. Oh, you got a big old fat line. Christmas was exactly like that. You got a fat line of freedom and you were like, I don't know if I want to fight for this anymore. Yeah, it was exactly like that. He went like this. Ah, I could drive a tank on a video game

probably in the next 10 years. Who gives a shit? It was more just constant drink. And I didn't drink that much in high school. I remember Christmas, I was drunk the whole time. And mom was like, you're not like this. I am now. I am now, mom.

Well, mom, turns out pussy and booze rule. So I, uh. Also, you're in wrestling shape? Oh, just peel that shirt right off. Yeah. Oh my god. I wish I had better stories about me. Nah, dude.

I was still unsuccessful with women at the time. No. But. But. We're not diverting. I hate you. Don't talk about your the time. No. But, but uh. We're not diverting. I hate you. I'm talking about your love life. But going back to your friends for two weeks. Oh, it was so good.

So I'm like, all right. So they march us down to this meeting. And now it's all done. Like the year is over, the worst year of your life. And they're like. This is before the two weeks. This is before the two weeks. And they're like, hey, we just got a few more,

I think two days of outing, I took my finals. Which, by the way, West Point is a hard college. Yeah, it's academically very good. Academically challenging. You take 18 hours and a lot of math and science. That's how I always felt about Notre Dame and Stanford athletes. Where you're like, these are top athletic programs

in the country, but also require top academics. Yeah. Uh, whenever I watched Notre Dame football, Shane will have this running joke with me where he goes, that nose tackle is good at math. He goes, I just want you to know that when you watch Notre Dame, that nose tackle is good at math. And same with West Point, you have to be, I mean, same with Annapolis, same with Air Force Academy. I grew up in Colorado.

So everyone was trying to go to with Air Force Academy. I grew up in Colorado, so everyone was trying to go to the Air Force Academy. Or no, like those that were incredibly athletic and incredibly smart. Grant and Matt, these two guys I knew, went to Air Force Academy and you were like, holy shit, one of them became a fighter pilot and an American hero.

It's just like a guy where you're like, my girlfriend in eighth grade cheated on me with you so, thanks for your service. Yeah. But I'm still a little bitter, I can't even salute you like this. It makes me think of when you fingered my girlfriend after eighth grade. Not to be tagging old man, but it's a right handed salute. It is?

Well I can't even do that, I don't know what handy you used Greg. He's right man. I don't know, she was right. Yeah it's right handed. She don't know what handy used Greg. He's right, man. I don't know. She was right. Yeah, it's right. She chose the right one. Never forget. Tricia was right. Yeah, that, so you go back.

So they march you down. So they march down and we have this meeting. They're talking about this is what, you guys are gonna go home in a couple of days. And when you come back, this is what the summer is gonna look like. And there was like, you know, I was Camp Buckner and you're gonna drive tanks and you're gonna do all this

stuff and it's, and then he goes, and my back is like, I'm finally done with them yelling at me. Like they're not gonna yell at me. It was every day, every hour of every day. Like they're not gonna yell at me, I'm not gonna get in trouble. And then they go, all right, so we're gonna march back to the barracks and then you guys are gonna lay out

all your equipment on your beds and we're gonna have an inspection to make sure you have all your equipment. And I remember thinking, I lost half of that stuff. I don't have that tent pole, I lost half of it. And they're just gonna keep yelling at me, they're gonna yell at me about this. And this is as we're marching back. You're talking to yourself in formation,

you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And they're not done yelling at me. They said they were done yelling at me, but they're gonna yell, they already, I know they're gonna yell at me about this. And they're setting me up to get yelled at again. They're gonna get yelled at me. They're not done yelling at me. They said they were done yelling at me, but they're going to yell. They already, I know they're going to yell at me. They're setting me up to get yelled at again. And by the time we got back, it was, it was, you know, I'm 17 years old. I think or something like I was, it was, I just had to go to the, you have to go. Everything is chain of command.

So I go to my squad leader who's a college kid. At the time, I thought he was a guy. If you were at college, if you're at a regular university, he would be your dorm guy. Yeah. He would be your fucking. But not even that, he's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's becoming like, oh, he's the RA. He's the RA, exactly, he's like, guys.

But you see him, you don't see things that way at all. You see that this guy is a god. So I go to him and I'm like, hey, I wanna quit. So then basically they talk you out of it, like they try to talk you out of it for like, hey, one. Do you think they have a prepared speech? Do you think they know a lot of these guys come up to them and they go like?

I think they were a little surprised in the timing. Like once you make it through the first year, you don't lose as many. You know, like they quit after basic or they quit. Yeah, I bet those first three months are just dropping like fraud. And I don't even know, I'd love to talk to Shane about it. Cause I know back when I was there,

I mean he's younger than I am, but you can't quit for a certain amount of period. Like you can't, now there were kids that were like tying bedsheets together literally, and then they were like, we're not gonna go after him. But you legally, you're in're in like you legally can't There are guys that did like tied bed sheet great escape came down and and ran and they're like fine And those are the guys now that were Oakley's in their Twitter profile

You deserted the army. You deserted, man. You're a deserter. And they're like, let me tell you what Kamala wants to do. That's so funny to think some of those guys were like, eee. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then some of those Democrats were too. So it's just a good balance. So the, and then there's a day when you're allowed to quit.

It's somewhere in the middle. Oh my God, I bet there was so many dudes jacking off in their bunks before that day. So many, somewhere in the middle. Oh my God, I bet there was so many dudes jacking off in their bunks before that day. So many, somewhere in the middle of basic training. And the Army has a sense of humor, man. So like, they're all out processing. You can see them. Sure.

You can see them, you're just fantasizing, like man, maybe those guys are gonna be having fun for three hours. You're just marching. You're marching, and this one guy, you know, they call cadence, you know. So this is marching and then and this one guy you know they call cadence you know so this is this one my favorite this is not my bit the guy like you're marching by and this upper classman goes you're left you're left your buddy just left that's fun that's one of my favorite the other

favorite was, you're in formation, right? That's the haze is you have to stand in formation four times a day and they just come and inspect you and they ask you all these questions. I'm sure Shane's told you some of it. But it's like, and you're supposed to be looking straight ahead, look straight ahead. So, naturally you're standing there.

It's a hot dog sandwich. And you go, yes, sir. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, split it to me, sir. And you're like, so the bread goes around the meat. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah, you got it. I should have probably gone to the army if I wasn't such a pussy. Yeah, it's you told it.

It's all that. Like there was a thing. You had to know the the news, but you had to report it in a certain way. Warren. Fake news! That's what I do now. Liberal threat on the news, sir! I wonder now, man. A plane from Qatar is cool, sir!

And they go, that is correct! You gotta go with what Trump wants for the news. He goes, is China scared of us? They go do not want to try more sure Canada will be our 51st It man I never thought of that man that because the New York Times was the publication sure everybody was delivered the New York Times It was failing New York Times I wonder if that's the same paper because you had to be like and you had to be like Warren What's in the news day sir today in the New York Times it was reported that? Ron that Ronald Reagan Ronald Warren Ronald is

Are you on a first name basis with the commander chief? Sir today in the New York Times reported that president I did start over Warren. Oh my god. I'd be like will you just stop? I'd eventually be like hey, can you just give me a second? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's very early Yeah, not none of that like trumpets could played very or those buccals get played very early. Yeah Oh, so you're looking straight ahead, right? What is the greatest show of all time? Sure, the wire you are incorrect. It is breaking bad and you go He goes, you are incorrect. It is breaking bad. And you go, according to this,

sir, season three shows the decay of the inner city match in the season four, the decay of the public education system. Sir. Those are the nerd conversations you want. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't remember. There's like three only three. Yes, sir, no, sir, and sir. And oh, you're bad. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, sir no sir and sir.

And oh you're bad. Yeah. Yes sir. No sir. Oh you're bad. So you go, so they tell you you're marching back to this place and in your head having this conversation of like, fuck it, maybe. Yeah. And then I just start going up the chain. So you tell him and he goes, he goes, he's got his little speech. And I think they all think they won. Like they'd be like, and I'd be like, yeah.

And they'd be like, Warren, you know, you screwed up a lot, but you, but, because I did, they were like, you got it, you screwed up, but your grades are okay. And you know, you made it through. You don't even like drinking. You don't even like pussy. Yeah, yeah.

Well, that's the thing is like, now you can do all that stuff. Like you get leave and go to the city. So, and I'd be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They'd be like, okay. And I'd be like, I still want to quit, man. And then you have to go to the next guy. And it was like eight levels.

And by the time I got to the end, you know, they were, I was, now you're not talking to college because you're talking to the army guys. You're talking to people that are captains. Yeah, yeah. They have been there since World War II. And they're like, we think you can do it, you know? And I finally got through the last level of quitting.

And then at that point, I was like, I'm 17 years old. I'm like, I let down my country. I'm a loser, I'm a failure, and I'm a deserter. You can never watch a Rocky movie again. No, none of it, man. He didn't fight for you over there. So, yeah. So, did you it. Yeah, he didn't fight for you over there. So yeah, but so when you said you What time of day does this happen in the morning? I think it was evening cuz I'm you're so where do you go?

You can't sleep in the barracks. You're done. I think I did sleep in the barracks just but you're out But I'd like you're at work, but you're not don't have epaulets on like like you're the one when you don't have epaulets on your shoulders, then then you're out processing. But I remember the night before I left I was just hanging out with because it's the first time that upperclassmen can talk to you as a human being like when you're leaving. Well, no, because we all it was over like it was over. So I'm sitting there and I'm talking all these upperclassmen and they're like,

and I'm just doing my rudimentary version of standup back here. Which is, you know, trying to, and I was doing impressions of all these upperclassmen and they're like, what are you quitting? Like Warren's cool, like why is he quitting? You know, and I. Warren Ricks, why is he going?

Yeah, and I was like, no man, I'm leaving. So the next morning you're out on a plane. You know, they- What did your dad, did you call home? Yeah, he was, I mean, my mother was thrilled. My dad- Fucking liberal mom, and her writing. Yeah, and my dad's liberal, very liberal,

but also a coach and also was- Coaches don't fucking- And a dad, and they think like, they're like, hey man, if you make it through this thing, you're going to be set for life. And I don't ever have to worry about you again, financially, you know? He also gets to do that thing where he goes,

my son is a veteran. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which has got to be cooler than being a veteran. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My son. My son is a veteran. My son. How dare you, sir?

How dare you? Did he fight in Kuwait? No. No. Just right after. But he went to Germany. Grenada. Yeah.

Was it Grenada? Then he went to the shit Grenada. Yeah. I mean, that's a... So were you like scared to tell him? No. I mean, we had been talking, you know, and I think his thing was like,

Hey, what do you... Let's just say you make it through the year. That's a deal I think we made. And my dad had a huge influence on me. I was like, all right, I'm gonna make it through the year. And I was conflicted and he was okay. So I get home and at that point I thought, I wanna go to Hollywood and be a comedian or something.

I'm 17 years old. And- So you already knew you wanted to do comedy. But I was gutless and- I mean, I do that. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it and I was like and then two days later I think was the day I got home and then two days later the Missouri coach was at my house and had dinner with my family and like hey I'm offering you a scholarship to Missouri what a great fallback yeah and I was like made that call your dad immediately and I don't you know that, that's what you think you just heard. He's the, he's just, he's coaching. He's like, that's enough for today guys. What?

Greg Warren's back. I, well, I knew he's got a delicious roast that I could eat tonight. He's like, yeah, fuck it. Like, my son's out of the army. It's like when, um, like when you have a crush on a girl and she has a boyfriend and then she breaks up with her boyfriend and her friend texts you and she goes, sound stop broke up with her boyfriend and then you go, all right, I'm in. It's like, that's what happened.

Your dad was like, Greg broke up with the army and Missouri was like, do you wanna wrestle? I wonder now, man. Yeah, 100%. Ask your dad. I will ask him. I guarantee he called me on the way over here. I wonder, I should ask him.

I guarantee he called Missouri and was like, hey, my son who I coached to be a terrific wrestler is Out of the army were you wrestling for the army? Yeah, so how hellish was that not? It's funny because it was I mean they were good and I was hurt a lot that year and I also I talk about myself Like I'm sort of a man I toughed it out the first year of I was in the hospital for like six or eight weeks, and I wasn't, they just couldn't figure out what was wrong with my back, and it wasn't that bad.

And I got to do, those six, like everybody's doing, I was ordering pizzas and like doing nothing. You're like, mom, my back, I guess I need another milkshake. So, yeah, my dad, I got out and, um, yeah, I wrestled them. So then Missouri brings you in. How quickly do you go into training for wrestling at Missouri, which for those of you who aren't sports fans and don't know division one athletics are, it's like joining NASA. It's like becoming an astronaut. Wrestling is the hardest of all that. I mean I look like so I

Remember getting because it seems like you quit the army to go have this fun summer I did then you immediately sign up for no, but I had the fun. Oh great. Yeah It was deserve that I was I was drinking more than I ever drank in my life So you're also 17 and you can like wake up after being completely drunk and be like, I'm gonna go on a run. So I look back, I'm like, I should have taken it more serious. You were fine, you should have enjoyed it.

I did, but I think there's, you know, but wrestling in the army was, they were really, they were good, not as good as Missouri. There was good guys there, really good guys. But the thing is the coach sort of knew, it's not like you got 30 people yelling at you all day. So by the time you get to wrestling practice,

the coach is like, hey, you're like, yeah, whatever coach. You're like, you're not even giving it to me as how does the drill sergeant. Get in line. I got, this is how I woke up. Yeah, this is, so they kind of knew. That's kind of like when I'm smoking bowls all day. It's the first one that gets you, and then by the end of the day you go, I don't know

if this is good weed. It's like the 30th bowl I've smoked. Exactly like that. It's exactly like that. See, you squares in the military, you can understand that. Coach told us that. Yeah, he goes, it's just like your 30th bowl of the day. It's like when Soder's smoking weed.

It's like when he's just fucking blazing Kron all day. Yeah, coach mentioned you. Yeah. So when you go to, you get to have this fun summer and then you go to Missouri and then it's like, that's also gotta be fun to leave and then go, I do love wrestling. I felt like that. I think, I can't remember why I didn't, I think I was gutless about moving to LA at 17 and trying,

but I think it also was like, I think I still might be good at wrestling, I still might have something here. You don't go into comedy, and we all know this for being in it, until you've exhausted all options, until you've gone like, I think this is the only place I might fit, is comedy.

It took me, I mean, it's why you guys are doing so well. I mean, I- What age did you start comedy? I started in college, but off and on, that one of the wrestlers worked at a comedy club and signed me up for some contest. No shit? Yeah.

But when did you commit to it? After 10 years out of college, I was, I worked for, I sold. Yeah. Cause you were like a top salesman. Not top, but I was, I sold Pringles and Jif and Duncan Hines and Crisco for 10 years. Peanut butter main. Yeah. And, and so I, What up peanut butter main.

Yeah. And I, and I finally like after 10 years, I, those last five years, I was like, you know how those last five years I was like, you know how you're the, I was like in the road, I didn't do it like you guys, where you guys go to New York and. Yeah, I mean that's like, there's different ways to get into comedy. There's like, you can, especially now with fucking YouTube and everything being satellite,

but like back in the day when we started, pre-internet, or like beginning of the internet, you would just fucking work the club where you live. And then you would hope to somehow get into a club in another city, but making that jump, when I got booked to MC in Albuquerque, I was like, whoa. To me, that was almost bigger than the first time I like,

I had to fly across the country to headline Yeah, I was fucking I gotta go to a different city and stay in a condo. I Remember the week I? Quit like for ten years. I was doing pretty much stand-up Especially the last five she's doing mics You're doing the mics you're doing local MC stuff I was hosting like I was a host at Go Bananas every other week or at this club in Dayton called Joker's

and then the Columbus Funny Bone. I was the host. And you know, you have a fun show. I was in my 20s and you're like, all the guys are like hanging out with these girls. They're like, hey man, these girls, they wanna go hang out at this bar. You wanna go, I'm like, I gotta go work.

I gotta get up and sell peanut butter. And then the first week I'd quit, I was on the road at some club, you know, and they're like, hey, you wanna go hang out with these girls? I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been waiting for a long time to see this. Yeah, that was, you know, I think I went through something similar,

even though I worked, even though I moved to New York, because I moved here and I'm not like, when you find out that kids move here and they're rich and they do stand up, it really bugs the fuck out of you. Cause you go, oh, so you just got to wake up and write. I had to wake up, do cafe, those, and then work at K-Rock. Cause I worked both of those places.

Did you really? Yeah, but I was doing K-Rock sometimes overnights. I would fill in for cheese mode very rarely, but then I would do weekends. So I was just like, every night I had to go do something. Either during the day or at night, I had to go do something that I didn't wanna do. Radio I liked, but I was over it at that point.

I'd been working in it. All I wanted to do was stand up. And so I get it, cause you're like, we would be out, this is one Joe lists shit in the shoe Yeah, me Nate. Oh you guys we were out drinking but I had to go home early because I'd go open the cafe Yeah, and we were at Barcelona bar on 55th and 8th and I was like, I gotta go I gotta go open cafe and they were like Nate and Joe were like blacked out That's when during the lunch service, the next day, my flip phone blew up

because Nate and Joe were like, Nate was like, you got, he was laughing. Nate was laughing so hard and he's like, you got to call Joe, man. You got to call Joe. It's wild. And then I called Joe list and he picks up the phone. He goes, hello. It was in Seattle for the Seattle comedy competition. No way. He had just landed and he's like, oh, it's crazy. He was on the plane still and I go,

what happened? He goes, I can't tell you right now. I shit in a girl's shoe. And I was like, oh, please call me. I left doing my paperwork as a waiter. The most important part of your shift is doing paperwork because it means you're done and it means they're about to hand you some cash. As a waiter, the most important part of your shift is doing paperwork. Yeah. It means you're done and it means they're about to hand you some cash.

Yeah. He called me while I was doing paperwork and I put my paperwork on the side. Just to hear the shooter. Went outside and smoked a cigarette just to hear the story. All right. Yeah. So I hear about those days with you because it was like you, Joe, Vecchione. Nate.

Nate. Norman. Yeah. Marill. Just. Oh. Like. everybody getting hammered. Just crazy. Yeah.

It was everyone was drinking young enough to not even care that you're going to. It's that thing. You know, you're 25 years old and you're waking up brutally hung over, but it doesn't even matter. Or sometimes I remember like, I can't remember what maybe a little younger than that I would wake up and feel awful and be like, well, I'm just going to gonna go back to sleep and then you'd wake up and be like I feel fine And think that was like medicine great. I drink Gatorade back. Yes. This is get some medical benefits You're sleeping the hangover. I used to this is how pliable I was in my early 20s when I moved to New York

I was 23 24 when I started like Working at KROC and I would work six a.m. to noon. But on Friday nights, I would go do check spots at Stand Up New York. So I'd just go bomb. Yeah. On the eight to 10, and then the midnight show was Louis J. Gomez's poster dog show.

That's how I met all those guys. Oh really? So I would do check spots eight and 10, but I would drink the whole night. I would eat cheap pizza before I'd go, and then starting at eight o'clock, I would drink until, oftentimes we'd hang out at Stand Up New York

till like two or three in the morning, and then I would go down to West 57th, to 40 West 57th, and I would sleep either on the ONA couch, which I talked to Jim Norton about in their studio or in the Howard Stern green room. And I'd put like my jacket over my head and I would sleep for, on a couch for 90 minutes to two hours and then wake up and do a six hour shift

on the radio would be fine. I would wake up, I would smoke a cigarette in the stairwell. I'd get a shitty cup of Insta coffee with like Insta creamer and sugar. Oh man, not even real coffee. Come on man. It was horrible. And then I'd just, and then I'd go to the studio and be like, hey, this is paramour with misery business. And then I'd just like load the hour and do it. But I was fine. I was like, and then I would get off work at noon. And so I was living on my friend's

couch in Hoboken and I would go back and they'd be like we're having beers and I'd be like now I would be like I need a hot shower mixed with a cold sleep mixed with for Advil and little bit of melatonin and then I'll take another little bit and then I might want to do maybe some Bayer. Bayer's good for my hips. And back then you just wake up like bam. And you're in shape. So you're like, I mean, you were in super shape. So drinking, you would wake up and be like,

just shake it off. I remember, yeah, because what I drank, I mean, I look back, in college I should have, we worked hard and I took it seriously, but I did not, like, I could have been better. You know? Did you have that moment after a season where you would pop off, where you would like,

the last meet, and then you're like, well, wrestling's over, now I can go. Did you go like, because Vecchione would tell me about eating, his is like. The eating was the thing. That's the thing, because you guys are dropping weight. Man, in college, senior year a little bit, junior year, insane amount of weight.

Like, because the rules were different back then. Like you could, you would, for a dual meet, you're just wrestling against one team, five hours, you weigh in and then you have five hours before you have to wrestle. So you starve yourself until you're just bones. It's dehydrate. Dehydrate, yeah.

And then for the NCAAs or tournaments, it's the night before. So you have the whole night to recover. So guys are coming in 20 pounds heavier. What's the most weight fluctuation you ever had to wrestle against? Well, I mean, for me, the one that I remember the most was junior year, I made it to the second day of nationals.

So I had to weigh in and they say, they announced the weight class. Like 150 pounders, you have two hours to make weight. I checked my weight, I was nine and a half over and I made it. And- What did you do? Just dehydration.

Just back then you could wear, we had sauna suits. Yeah. We had it. Those trash bags that Vecchione used to run around in? But it was the actual suit that you could get a target for like 20 bucks or something. And we had it all timed out to Scorpions Live. So we would like, you can't run when you're,

so you just run just maybe a little, and then you turn the showers on, seal off the shower. Just like when you're Jamaican hotboxing a hotel room. Potheads and wrestlers are very close to each other. And then you put a bike in there, and then you just, you go, you can't go to, like you go two songs, we had it all at the Scorpions Live. So you go like two songs, go out,

like just be like, I can't, I can't. Or maybe rock you like a hurricane one more time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I remember rock you, and then you get it down that way till about a pound and a half, and then you can't move. And then you use like the steam room or the sauna, and you take these tongue depressors

and you scrape sweat off, which I don't know if that did anything more. Probably, because you're moving room for more sweat to come out and you're trying to get the water out of your body. I bet there is some science behind that. then that you wrestlers have so many stupid Yeah, like and then guys are like old Polish grandmothers. You have all these like weird Yeah, you do where you go like so they would slap his back to get evil off it. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, and then they would they coach I remember one like he would

He's me and buddy Smith are in the steam room and he would open up the steam room and take a hose and he'd hose us off. So we like cool us down, give us a little relief. But we're like trying to drink the water. We're trying to drink the water. Like, stop drinking the water, Smith. You know, stop drinking the water. That's what my dog does when you spray with a hose. Yeah, it was like that. Yeah. You don't care. You just like, I just want. So when you would, so second day at actionals, you make nine and a half pounds is insane. That night I made it.

So you make weight, what is, cause I kind of imagine it must be like the Benz. Like if you just start eating immediately, you'll get fucked up. Is that how? The only thing you really wanna do is drink at that time. Like you just wanna drink water. You just want water or Gatorade.

What's the best thing to drink right after losing nine and a half pounds of water? I think it's probably Gatorade. Is there a flavor? Like? I think back then I was... Well, back then they had orange, red and yellow. Yeah, it's probably about it. Yeah. I think yellow was, I think that, you know, de facto. Cold yellow. Yeah, that was the standard. You got an orange, you were getting a fucking...

Now that I, if I, if you do do the science I'm sure it's like some version of Gatorade at room temp is probably the best way to rehide. Oh, yeah, like a Pedialyte or something that's like filled with a lot of these guys have now that I can't imagine what it's like now now It's it's an hour. So you can't do all that garbage because you got a wrestle like you can't so does that When they make it an hour is that to make it so that these kids aren't hurting themselves like this and that it's more like, where you're going to wrestle it more at what your walk around weight is?

Someday they probably want to get to mat side weigh-ins where you step on the scale and then you go wrestle. So you can't do any of that garbage. We were at the height of when it was insane. Crazy illegal. Nuts. Your guys' weight drops were insane. I mean, and I would have these doctors who'd be like,

well, you can't lose nine pounds in two hours. You go, brother? Yeah, you can. And I would- Tell the guy from southwestern Missouri state, Mississippi state that I beat the shit out of him. Yeah, I wrestled, I think Portland state the next morning and I beat him and then I lost to New Mexico

One if I'd won if I'd beat the lowest guy to been an All-american that year and I lost it I lost to the So that's how I'm on Fleischman T Don Fleischman. Hope you're okay. Yeah with all these people you never know where they're at I had him too, man. I had him and I was I mean I hurt him a little bit Yeah, and they stopped the match and then the guy just, yeah. So the next year, because you were All-American, what I find fascinating about All-American is? Top eight. Top eight, that's what, so if you place in the top eight,

the elite eight, you get All-American. I got seventh. That's sick. And I should have, I think I was probably like the sixth or fifth best guy, like I won this match and I made All American and I was like, I was so happy, happier than I've ever been. And I kind of knew even at that point, I did what I could, but wrestling was not my life.

I knew something else had to be, like I was about done with it. So like there was some guys. You know what? Pretty fucking cool place to end up is All American and the thing that you go, I don't know if this is it. Everything that I've done that has just been a colossal failure where I go, this is absolutely not it.

I need to find something else. So I mean, I'm just like, so I'm jumping up and I wasn't like a big celebrator, but I was like jumping up and down. Yeah, fuck yeah. So then the next match, I don't care. Like I literally, I'm like, I did. That's how you know you're over it.

Like I didn't think that I wanted to win. Sure. And it was probably the best I've ever wrestled in my life because I was just un- Loose. So I'm working this guy from Penn State, Jason Suter. I'm working him. I'm taking him down at will.

And then this guy just gets me in a junk move and scores five points. And it's like, it was a good. And it was over. And it wasn't over, but I was basically. Is that the moment that you think that you were like, that's it for me? I tried to come back, but he kind of had me.

Like he got a five point move, which is a lot of points. And I couldn't, and at that level, he was good. So at that level, like I'm not gonna just. He controlled the lead. Yeah, which is a lot of points. And I couldn't, and at that level he was good. So at that level, like I'm not gonna. He controlled the lead. Yeah, yeah, he controlled the lead. So then if I'd have beat him, I'd have gone for like third through six and I lost. And I went for seventh and eighth against

the North Carolina guy the next day. Yeah. Yeah. But that was it. That was it, that was it. And then I was like, I'm never getting on a scale again for the rest of my life. I'm never getting on.

Do you have like a PTSD? Can you not worry yourself? Vecuon loves it, cause I won't get it. Ever, even when you're at the doctor. Probably four times they've pressured me into getting on a scale. So a doctor actually has to get you to be like, Greg, I can't do it.

I won't do it for the nurse. I won't do it for the nurse. I can't imagine. And Vecuon's always like, come on, nurse. I won't do it for the nurse. I can't imagine. And Vecchione's always like, come on, man. I'm like, dude, I. Sir, you're going to need to get on that scale. This is exactly. Sir, you're going to need to get on that scale.

Yes. There you go. Do you know her? I will not weigh myself in. Do you know her? Sir. And for her, she goes. Oh, no, I don't.

I know I don't. This white man would not get on the scale. Is this in a break room? And she goes, I swear to God, I try to get this white guy on the scale. Okay, so take that, I've had that person. Now take the heavier version of that one. Yeah, I mean I had her pretty heavy in my mind. Yeah, and okay, there's a heavier version,

but I go, hey, I don't do that. And she's like, oh, you don't do that, all right. You know, like she was understanding. She was like, neither do I. Baby, you try to get me on the scale, I threaten to walk out. Yeah,. You know, like she was understanding. She's like, neither do I. Try to get me on the scale. I threatened to walk out. Yeah. Yeah. That's so funny. So now, I mean, and then you go into sale, you become a salesman for 10 years, but was it when you landed in comedy that you were like, this is the right thing? Because I will say the one thing I've noticed about wrestlers that always really impresses me is your work ethic is unmatched. Like they always say for MMA fighting,

you should have a background in wrestling because you know how to have ground control, but more importantly, you know how to train an insane way. I say this all the time because I'm not an MMA guy, but I say this and now, of course, you know, Nate's a big MMA fan and like the last two wrestler guys that I was like, this guy a big MMA fan, and the last two wrestler guys that I was like, this guy's gonna, like, Bo Nicol gets smoked, and I'm like, how did this happen? Just because, you know, that guy.

I mean, I think it's like, they are great wrestlers, but then there's guys who grow up with the secrets of wrestling, but also, while you're wrestling, they're doing Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. So now you're going to get, we're past that. There was a stage in the 90s in the early 2000s where if you were a wrestler.

Dan Severn and those guys. Randy Couture, you're gonna dominate the MMA. Same time as him. You did? And he was at Oklahoma State. Yeah, he was at Oklahoma State. Yeah. He was, I think he had gone in the Marines

before he went to college or something. Yeah, he was like Chris Weinke. He came back older and wrestled kids. He wrestled my buddy Charlie. He was like a 190-pounder. But here's the thing, Sam Shepard in the book, A Fighter's Heart and A Fighter's Mind, he talks about this. Randy Couture had a thing where his blood pressure lowers when he's in a state of combat. Really? Yeah, they did a whole thing about him. They did a scientific that can't explain it. Really? Yeah, they did like a whole thing about him. He did like a scientific that can't explain it. Really? When he's like in a pressure situation, he's calmer than when he's

normally walking around. They said that was like in the Sam Sheridan book fighters. That's a gift, right? Yeah, they said like, it's just a natural thing that like, it's the reason like minute bowl played basketball. It's like, hey, this happens to be a genetic thing I've always thought like like I'm pretty good friends with Ben Askren yeah and it was unbelievable Ben just didn't and he's got real he caught a bad knee from or he did and he was he was also by the time he got to the UFC he knew he was done because he had been wrestling in every way he could yeah and fighting he was a good they wouldn't let him in but he he never got tired.

I would talk to the Missouri coach, and he'd be like, yeah, Ben doesn't get tired. Like, what is that like? Yeah. What is it? So what does that mean? He would just run and then be like, that was fun. I think wrestling, he just has that slow twitch.

Like, because the guys that like, like, like, Tyron Woodley was a Mizzou wrestler and a tank, but he would get tired. Like, cause he's just such a, but Ben didn't get tired. I wonder if that has something to do on a molecular level about the like acid, the lactic acid in your muscles. Probably.

If it's like not released the same as us. Cause it's also like, you know, Andre the giant, he was a man, but he was born with a deficiency in his brain where his pituitary gland oversaturated so he grew to be a giant he's not like an actual giant you know what I mean there's like stuff that yeah there's some college wrestling coach watching me right now going no Greg you're a coward and Ben is tough. That is why don't try to, don't try to, don't try to blame it on some gene that Ben has that you know, no, you're a coward. That is why he, he got tired just like you.

It just, he kept going. He didn't be a pussy about it. Do you, how much more fun is it being a silly goose than having to be a salesman or even a wrestler? Or like. Dude, it is. I try to explain to people the best part about comedy is like, you just don't have to be, it's not serious.

That's why when I see comics being too serious about it, that's what upsets me. I was that guy for a while, man. Where I'm like, stop! And a couple got guy for a while, man. I was like, stop! And a couple got, Vic Henley, I think, was like, hey, what are you doing? Vic was a man. Yeah.

What are you doing, buddy? I miss drinking, but more importantly, I miss drinking and talking SEC football with Vic Henley. Yeah, man, yeah. Sit down and have a couple fucking shots of tequila with him. He'd be like, I don't know, man, is Auburns looking good? Yeah. And you go, hell, are they? Because they got Texas, you know. He'd be like, I don't know man, Auburn's looking good. And you go, oh are they?

Cause they got Texas, you know. You ever tell you that story about it? His brother was a famous running back at Auburn. Yeah, so his brother's a famous running back and he's got like two nieces, or one niece I think, from a different brother, not Vic, and she went to Alabama. Oh boy. And Henley's brother is a legend at Auburn.

He's like, he's like, The name Henley is known. Yes. For his brother at Auburn. He gets whatever he wants at Auburn for the rest of his life. So his only niece, his only niece calls him up and says, hey, Uncle Terry, I need tickets for the Auburn, For the Iron Bull.

Auburn, Alabama game. I don't give Auburn Alabama game. I don't give tickets to Alabama fans. Click. Yes. Fucking great. That's the kind of- It's his only niece. I love it.

His only niece. Click. He doesn't live here no more. War Eagle is hanging up on her. War Eagle. Yeah, I'm fascinated by that, especially in Alabama. That Auburn. It's serious. It's not like silly, serious. It's not like it's not fun. We fun

It's not like Colorado Colorado State. No, we're to be yeah, they're like I don't talk to you anymore. Yeah, even Mizzou Kansas when I was in school was a battle of the where they call it. You know, it's like the border battle I've been the but it was it made back then it only mattered We were both good in basketball back then. Like back then Danny Manning and you know, we had Derek Chivas and Anthony Peeler. And yeah, and then Kansas was Kansas. And they were, they were great.

And our coach would not spend. As an Arizona Wildcat, fuck Kansas. Yeah. All my homies hate that, Kansas, Jay Hawks. Yeah, but you guys were, I remember. They beat the shit out of us, Mike. Junior year, senior year, they beat regular season by 20 points.

The lead eight, they schooled Missouri one year. And they just beat. No, Arizona did. No, Arizona. They had those guards that, it was. Lute Olsen, you're talking about. It was Lute Olsen team, it was in the lead eight, and it was, they had a couple, one of them went to the NBA.

Jason Terry? No. Might've been Jason the Jet Terry around that time Mike Pull car. Yeah, it was one of them went to the NBA or maybe both of them, but they they smoked us I love it. I love I can fucking dude. I'm fast They might but I always think it's amazing because I've always known you as a comedian So and you're a fucking awesome comic you're hilarious and. And then to know that you have this backstory, it always makes me feel so less interesting where you're like, did you get all that?

It's like Forrest Gump. You're like, you're just running around doing all this crazy shit. And then now I just know you as a fantastic comic. But I mean, that's the best part. I mean, thanks for coming by. Oh yeah dude. Watch his special on YouTube.

The link is right below you. So just click on it. Check him out. Also watch all of his specials. He's got fucking fantastic specials. Is the one before is on YouTube, right? Yeah, they're both on Nate's channel. Go to the Nate Land page. Yeah.

Actually, click the link for Greg's, then go to the Nate Land page, and show love to all the Nate Land comics, like Vecchione, Aaron Weber. Vecchione own special is real good Steven Rogers there's a you know Nate land might be the st. Louis yeah yeah we got some stuff I'm trying to bring in a nail yeah that's not gonna work we're gonna man do you think she coming by buddy thanks buddy Thanks buddy.