The Victory Degree

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Frank Fleming aka Frank the Tank. If you follow Barstool Sports, then you know Frank as the diehard Mets, Dolphins, Devils, and recently converted Knicks fan. His over the top rants combined with his insane knowledge of sports history have earned him a huge base of loyal supporters online. Before Barstool, Frank was a court clerk, substitute teacher, and frequent user of the New Jersey Transit System. Little did Frank know that a viral rant about NJ Transit was about to change his life forever…In this interview, Frank reveals his journey to Barstool, how he built one of the largest sports history websites in the world, the crime that was the 02’ Lakers/Kings playoff series, his insane weight loss journey, an array of stats and facts about the 4 major North American sports leagues, a rant about the Miami Dolphins, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) US Soccer(05:00) Pre Barstool Days(08:36) SportsEcyclopedia.com(12:46) NBA in the 80's & 90's(19:46) 02' Kings Lakers Playoff Series(23:09) Sports Conspiracies (25:56) Hard Rock Stadium(28:00) Becoming a Dolphins Fan(31:32) Working at Barstool(36:01) Frank Walks(38:15) Sports History(54:56) Insane Dolphins Story(58:55) How to Fix the Dolphins(01:01:29) Life AdviceConnect with Frank:Twitter: https://x.com/NjTank99Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/njtank1975/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Merril Hoge. Merril was a running back in the NFL for 8 seasons for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. Hoge’s NFL career saw him amass 3139 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns before having to retire due to a concussion misdiagnosis. Merril went on to have a successful career as a sports personality on ESPN before being laid off in 2017. Merril’s journey has been full of ups and downs: from losing his mother at the age of 19 to being diagnosed with cancer in 2003 to having open heart surgery in 2015. Despite all these challenges, Merril has always been able to “find a way.”  In this interview, Merril reveals his journey to the NFL, how he deals with moments of self-doubt, how he’s been able to navigate tragedy and life’s toughest challenges, his abysmal draft combine experience, what he has learned from hunting with Big Ben, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro (02:08) Johnny Manziel (03:59) Find a Way(13:13) How To Defeat Self-Doubt(18:57) How Merril Dealt With His Mother Passing Away(24:45) Merril's Draft Combine(30:00) Concussion Misdiagnosis (39:01) Cancer & Open-Heart Surgery (47:58) Happiness (54:01) Hunting With Big Ben (01:00:06) Life AdviceConnect with Merril:Twitter: x.com/merrilhogeInstagram: www.instagram.com/merrilhoge/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is TeeTee Terry. TeeTee is a 2 time track and field world champion who specialized in the women’s 100 and 200 meter sprints. She’s a 2 time gold medalist in the 4x1 relay, set a school record at USC, and recently qualified for the Paris Olympics representing Team USA. TeeTee made Junior Olympics her first year in track and field and is quickly becoming one of the fastest women in the world. TeeTee is easily recognizable from her signature double ponytails, loves DIY projects, and has a passion for working with kids.In this interview, TeeTee reveals her journey to track and field, what she’s looking forward to in the Paris Olympics, the reality of being an olympian, how she gets her mind right before and during a race, the power of discipline, her takeaways from working with George Mumford, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(02:01) Who is TeeTee?(03:39) Relationship w/Parents(09:07) Is Passion Real?(11:21) TeeTee's Relationship w/Track(13:06) Motivation (15:15) Behind the Scenes Look at the Olympics(19:14) Difficulty of Competing in 100m Sprint(21:30) Pre-Race Routine(23:07) Experience at USC(26:11) Discipline (30:17) Priorities (31:07) Intention(32:06) George Mumford(39:06) Mindset During a Race(41:01) Is Winning as Fun As It Seems?(46:06) Criticism (49:38) Role Models(52:09) Paris Olympics(54:12) Sports Broadcaster(55:16) Advice to Kids(57:06) Plans After Track(57:22) Life AdviceConnect with TeeTee:Twitter: https://x.com/TeeTeeTerry_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canonlybeme__/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Jimmy Traina. Jimmy has been with Sports Illustrated since 2000, covering the world of sports and sports media in various capacities. He has been writing daily sports columns since 2007 and has been the host of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2017 interviewing athletes and media personalities like Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Charles Barkley, Bill Simmons, Ryen Russilo, Pat McAfee, and more.In this interview, Jimmy explains why New Haven Pizza is overrated, how he landed a job at Sports Illustrated, what separates great broadcasters like Kevin Harlan and Mike Breen from everyone else, the future of sports media, the grind of writing a daily sports column, what he’s learned from interviewing Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons, Charles Barkley, Scott Hansen, Pat McAfee, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro(03:22) Worst Tuesday of the Year?(04:08) Working From Home(06:00) New Haven Pizza(10:30) How Jimmy Got Into Sports(14:54) Sports as a Career(16:09) Sports Broadcasting(19:54) How to Deal With Criticism(22:17) How Twitter Changed Sports(24:21) Athlete Podcasts & Future of Sports Media(28:37) The Optimal TV Setup(32:28) Streaming Platforms(33:29) How Fantasy & Gambling Have Changed the NFL(36:00) The Grind of Writing a Daily Sports Column(40:04) Getting Into Sports Media(44:17) Starting a Podcast in 2017(49:08) Jimmy's Interview Style(55:38) Ryen Russillo(56:57) Bill Simmons(58:16) Charles Barkley(61:10) Scott Hansen(01:02:21) Pat McAfee(01:07:55) Downsides of Working in Sports(01:11:24) Jimmy's Favorite Character from The Office(01:14:19) The Legacy of Bill Walton(01:17:00) Life AdviceConnect with Jimmy: Twitter: https://x.com/JimmyTrainaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmytraina/SI Media Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/si-media-with-jimmy-traina/id997819235Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Allistair McCaw. Allistair is a sports performance and mindset coach who has worked with extraordinary athletes and olympians like Kevin Anderson, Xavier Malisse, and many others. Allistair’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable as he grew up working various jobs like: delivering newspapers, mascotting for a sports drink company, and cleaning gyms. In his spare time, Allistair has competed in 29 marathons and in 5 duathlon world championships. Currently, Allistair travels the world sharing his knowledge on leadership, motivation, and team culture. In this interview, Allistair outlines the importance of preparation, how to seek out success, his experience working with top athletes and how they differ from everyone else, how to build lasting habits, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro(01:45) What Allistair Does and Why?(03:52) Working Various Odd Jobs(07:07) The Impact of Our Circumstances(09:19) Why Many Are Difficult to Coach(13:20) No Money in Sports(16:52) How to Become a Sports Performance & Mindset Coach(20:15) Knowing When to Quit (22:34) Allistair's First Big Break(24:61) Kevin Anderson(27:03) Working w/Grand Slam Champions(37:05) The Origins of Obsession(43:30) Nick Bollettieri(48:48) Marriage Advice (51:20) The Importance of Mindset(54:52) "Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity"(59:41) Self-Talk(01:06:31) Coach K(01:10:23) Building Habits That Last(01:16:57) Life AdviceConnect with Allistair: Twitter: https://x.com/AllistairMcCawInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bechampionminded/Mindset Is Your Superpower Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNM1VCV8?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_XEM43ZBS55BYBP1QHQVH&language=en-USConnect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Coach Bob Starkey. Coach Starkey has more than 30 years of SEC coaching experience including stints with both LSU Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams from 1989-2011. During this time, he coached LSU greats like Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Temeka Jonson, and Shaq. All in all, Coach Starkey has had a decorated career, having been a part of 790 collegiate victories, 24 NCAA Tournaments, eight trips to the Elite Eight and five straight trips to the Women’s Final Four (2004-08). He is currently the associate head coach on the LSU Women’s Basketball team, under head coach Kim Mulkey and was largely responsible for implementing defensive principles that ultimately helped LSU win the national title in 2023. In this interview, Coach Starkey reveals his journey to coaching, how to push through adversity, what he’s learned from studying coaches like Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, the growth of women’s basketball, experience coaching Angel Reese and Shaq, how athletes should approach social media, and much more. As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro(02:19) Coach Starkey's Journey to Coaching(05:54) Differences Between Men's and Women's Basketball(09:12) How To Fight Through Adversity & Focus on the Process(17:40) Staying in the Moment & Kobe(21:31) What Makes for Good Team Culture?(25:39) The Downstream Effects of Poor Leadership(26:48) Learning From Bill Belichick & Nick Saban(29:39) Failure(32:53) Angel Reese(37:38) Social Media(40:46) Growth of Women's Basketball(45:52) Shaq(53:05) Coach Starkey: Hall of Fame Coach(55:08) Work Ethic(59:40) Finding Your Passion(01:08:28) What Coach Starkey is Most Proud Of(01:09:59) Online Blog(01:21:50) How Basketball Has Changed?(01:29:29) Phil Jackson(01:35:36) Life AdviceConnect with Coach Starkey: Twitter: https://x.com/CoachBobStarkeyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopcoachbobstarkey/Hoop Thoughts Blog: https://hoopthoughts.blogspot.com/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Sylvia Hoffman aka SupaDupaChick. Sylvia is a 7 time World Cup Medalist and former Olympic Bronze medal winning bobsledder. In her own words, Sylvia is “a multi-sport athlete that has had three main sports throughout her athletic career. And she have gone Pro in two of them all while working full time in corporate. She is very passionate about reaching for goals that others deem impossible. She is an engineer, a national, international and Olympic record holder, an undefeated national champion, and an aspiring keynote speaker.” Not to mention, Sylvia is also a huge Eagles fan. In this interview, Sylvia reveals her extraordinary journey to bobsledding which involves an appearance on The Next Olympic Hopeful, the ins and outs of bobsledding, the difficult of juggling a full time job while training for the Olympics, how everyone can improve their self-confidence, and how to never give up…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. Alright, now on to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Philadelphia Eagles(02:06) How to Become a Bobsledder(10:50) What is Bobsledding?(13:12) The Military or The Olympics(17:20) Astronauts & Space(20:30) The Randomness of Life(28:36) Working a 9-5(33:50) How to Break Out of the Rat Race(39:26) Making Team USA(46:07) Olympic Training(56:05) Financial Hardships(01:05:32) Medaling in the Summer AND Winter Olympic Games(01:13:59) Life AdviceConnect with Sylvia: Twitter: https://x.com/MsSylviaHoffmanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms_sylviahoffman/?hl=enConnect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Guest George Mumford, sports psychology pioneer, discusses working with NBA legends like Jordan & Kobe. He explores the power of adversity, Kobe's jump shot metaphor, and parallels between coaching prison inmates and championship teams. Insights on self-improvement, embracing challenges, and evolving athlete mentality over decades.

Hello party people, welcome back to the show! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Josh Dobbs - current NFL player and aspiring Aerospace Engineer. Josh’s NFL career started in 2017 when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round after playing 4 seasons for the Tennessee Volunteers. Since then, Josh has played for the Jaguars, Steelers, Browns, Lions, Titans, Cardinals, Vikings, and is currently with the 49ers. Besides football, Josh is passionate about the field of Aerospace Engineering - even interning at the Kennedy Space Center in both 2020 and 2021. In this interview, Josh reveals details about his childhood including his first passion - Aerospace Engineering, his hectic lifestyle in college, life as an NFL quarterback, why he’s excited to play for the 49ers, and much more. As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode and please remember: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take….TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Joshs' Favorite Plane(01:32) Childhood(05:49) Kennedy Space Center(08:33) Role Models(12:04) Advanced Math(14:15) Josh Dobbs the Superhuman(16:53) Maturity(20:54) Josh's Insane College Schedule(30:12) Engineering: The Good Ol' Days(39:08) Engineer or Football Player?(41:49) Drafted by the Steelers(46:27) What Separates the Best Quarterbacks(49:22) 7 Different Teams by 28(53:27) Relationship Between Starting QB and Backup(57:05) QB Confidence(01:00:09) Dealing With Failure(01:02:20) Learning From the 2023 Season(01:04:58) Team Culture(01:07:19) Meeting the 49ers(01:09:49) The Player-Agent Relationship(01:15:39) Bay Area Housing Costs(01:16:09) Inside the Helmet(01:19:58) Crowd Noise(01:22:38) Toughest NFL Stadium To Play In(01:23:59) Life AdviceConnect with Josh: Twitter: https://x.com/josh_dobbs1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshdobbs/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Hello party people, welcome back to the show! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Daniel Carcillo - former NHL player and current concussion survivor and mental health advocate. Daniel spent 10 years in the NHL, winning 2 Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks and excelling in his role as an enforcer. Daniel was known for his aggressive play style on the ice and willingness to drop the gloves - so much so it earned him the nickname “car bomb.” After retiring from the NHL, Daniel experienced severe mental health conditions - the aftermath of countless concussions while playing. Daniel’s work and commitment to brain health initiatives have been featured in The Players’ Tribune, The New York Times, USA Today, The Athletic, and more. In this interview, Daniel opens up on his journey to hockey which started in King City, Ontario, his experience playing in the NHL, his work surrounding brain health, and the power of discipline, self-care, and a positive mindset.As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode and please remember: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take….TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Who Is Daniel Carcillo?(02:17) King City, Ontario(04:57) Pursuing Hockey(07:22) Moving Away from Home at 16(10:12) Managing Pressure(13:43) Visualizing Success(20:11) Day in the Life of a NHL Player(26:23) How to Keep Going(29:44) Daniel's Willingness to Drop the Gloves(37:01) The Link Between Hockey and CTE(41:34) The Power of Discipline, a Positive Mindset & Self-Care(47:07) Life AdviceConnect with Daniel: Twitter: https://x.com/CarBombBoom13Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielcarcillo13/Website: https://danielcarcillo.com/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic