427. Roy Firestone

Roy Firestone is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning and seven-time cable ACE Award-winning host, interviewer, narrator, writer, and producer. As the ground-breaking, original host of ESPN’s legendary Up Close, Up Close Classic, and Up Close Primetime, Firestone has interviewed more than 5,000 athletes, musicians, actors, and political figures, as well as scores of writers and filmmakers. As an actor, Firestone was featured in the Academy Award-winning film, Jerry Maguire, where he played himself in an unforgettable (and often repeated) scene with Academy Award-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. His numerous television credits include Everybody Loves Raymond and Married with Children. Fans of The Simpsons remember him as the voice of ‘Bart Starr.’ No stranger to talk shows, Firestone’s appearances include Late Night with David Letterman, Later with Bob Costas, Larry King Live, and The Tonight Show. Firestone is also an accomplished musical vocalist.

In this episode, Firestone tells many stories from his over 6,000 shows. Included gems are stories about Dean Smith, Elton John, and Muhammad Ali.