SPEAKER_01 0:00

Alright, little family gathering. First of all, we're way too close for any family to be there. There's a street they should be lighting this off. You know this is gonna go bad. Okay, this is the best part. Everyone's like, oh, let's make a run for it.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

But then in the top right corner, the entire minivan and a stroke and explode! Bringing home the greatest fireworks show in the neighborhood. Welcome to Unfiltered Friday, Fourth of July edition. Let's go and let's blow the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_04 0:33

Welcome to the little kid.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Um it's the eve of 4th of July here in South Carolina. So happy 4th of July weekend, brother.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Happy Fourth of July weekend, AJ.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

What are you doing this weekend, brother?

SPEAKER_02 1:06

I am grilling some hot dogs and blowing stuff up in the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

You're sorry, this broke up. It said you you're you're what would what did you say?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Grilling some dogs and blowing stuff up.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Oh, sorry. I was I you know, because I know you're you're you've told me that you one of your new hobbies is blowing glass, right? You do glass balls.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

That would be cool, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:28

I know. I was like, you got a set of lungs on your Sean. You know?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

I actually really like those videos.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

I think that's really like it's one of my favorite videos to watch.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Therapeutic. It feels really natural.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Just blowing things.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Yeah. Well, I love it, and I'm excited for the 4th of July weekend. This is literally gonna be absolutely mayhem here in South Carolina. You know, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be grilling meat myself, um, and an embarrassing amount of meat. All right, we've we've it's almost like half a cow that we're gonna go through. Our neighborhood goes absolutely, we have like a little parade in the morning, which is really fun. Um it drives by actually the where the old folks' homes are, and they all come out, we they hand us candy and stuff, but the kids look forward to every year they get on the bikes, and um it's just a really fun, fun weekend. But then I'm in charge of the fireworks in the neighborhood. And I've done it for the last couple years. If you can believe it, Sean, they've put me in charge. I think because I played a seal on TV, fake seal, that they're like, this guy, this guy's been in it, he's been through it before, he's been through war. Yeah, that's pretty much let's let's give it to AJ. He understands explosives. And I was like, okay. So what I did though is I went and I got like 50 feet of wick, and we have an absurd amount of fireworks, but it takes me a good part of five or six hours, and I will like look at the box, plan out like the opening, the middle, and the end. But it when you light one wick and it's all taped together, and it's like the most choreographed show in the neighborhood. It's almost as good as Benches and Hedges. There is gonna be a massive show downtown uh uh uh Charleston, which we'll get into in a second, but it is it's gonna be mayhem. And um we're gonna be on my neighbor's uh um on his dock, which is a good, you know, we've a river or uh the intercoastal in between us. So it's a lot safer than um what those folks. I mean, that's how many times in the neighborhood have you seen that sort of stuff happen?

SPEAKER_02 3:30

All the time.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

It's so crazy, and that's why I I really like I can't say it enough. Like, I will spend time screwing all of the um fireworks down onto uh some some board. Like a little we'll drill everything down just in case a rogue one bounces off like that and knocks some other ones off.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Just don't park your minivan full of the extra.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

I mean, that's just it's just it's it's just I mean, great for content, but hopefully no one was hurt because that's the one thing about 4th of July. There's always somebody that is like, I got this, I have this, don't worry. And they do faces over things, or they go up to the box, which I've done before by accident. I think it's done, and a random one just shoots out, and you're like, uh actually, I was wearing this suit here. Sean, you haven't talked about my outfit here, bro.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

Look at that, dude. You're screaming freedom.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

I am screaming freedom.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

What'd your hat say?

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Back-to-back World War Champs, baby. Nice, that's right. There you go. Got it from my grandpa. No, I didn't, but if I if I was born here, he would have given it to me. Wow. Um, but yeah, I'm excited, man. It's uh it's a big weekend and I'm uh I'm happy to be here in America. Are you one of those people that just can't sleep? I was. I was just like you until I found Ghost Bed. Ghostbed has completely changed my life. I've had so many back injuries over the course of my career, car accidents, stunts gone wrong. I was losing so much during the day because I couldn't sleep at night. When I discovered the hybrid luxe split king, everything in my life changed. It has this zero gravity mode, and it is absolutely insane. You just press this little button, your back goes up, your feet goes up a little bit, and my lower lumbar, the pain's gone. It's the very first bed in years that I've actually been able to get a full night's sleep. If it wasn't for ghost bed, I wouldn't look this handsome right now. That's a fact. I mean, it's a little uncomfortable. I'm sure you watching through the screen going, damn, how's he look that good? No Botox, just ghost bed. So do yourself a favor, go to ghostbed.com forward slash buckley. In the password there, put buckley, B-U-C-K-L-E-Y, get yourself a ghost bed.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Yeah, how long have you been in this country now, AJ?

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Well, uh, I would say I came here in '98. I was 17.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Yeah, 17, 18. I had my 18th birthday here. Uh I moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. And uh, and then uh yeah, I've been in South Carolina though for five or six years.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

I'm sorry the acting gig didn't pan out for you. I know, it's terrible.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Now I'm now I'm in a studio wearing a wig.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

As a podcaster.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

As a podcaster, working with Sean.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

I mean, that's not too bad there.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

No, I will I will say this, ladies and gentlemen. If we had two cameras in this studio, you would see that Sean right now has got body paint on him. No clothes, just body paint. And it's uh it's pretty cool. It's it's of a bird feeder. Um, he's painted like a bird feeder that has an American flag boying in the right round. And you can guess where the bird feeder is. It's uh it's uh quite the thing. But he's uh he's into body painting, and uh, and I'm here to support you, Sean. I love your expression as an artist and as an American because that's what the troops fought for.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

That's exactly right. It's art.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

It is art. Um, but uh yeah, I uh I you know came I came from Ireland, then I went to Canada, and uh I moved down here. It was the best move of my life. This country is this next level. And I just again, we talked about this all the time. The World Cup stuff has just made America look so good, and it should, because there's just there's just so many people that just want to shit on this country. Look, it's not a perfect country, but it is one of the best countries in the world. And um, I'm happy to uh to live here.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

We have a lot of fans in the comments kind of upset you don't ever give thanks back to your Canadian roots either.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

I do, I do. I I'm I'm I'm grateful. I don't I you know I'm just not a fan of Canada right now. Uh there's a lot of things going up there. I don't get into politics, but Canada's changed. Canada's changed a lot, and uh it's not the Canada that I knew and and loved. I love Canadians.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Um but they also lost to us in the Olympics in just about every sport, so yeah, yeah, they did.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

But they did, I will say this. I took my dad to the Olympics where Sidney Crosby was uh our captain of the Canadian team, and was when I was living in Vancouver. I know it's when I flew back, my parents were still there, and um they uh they beat them. Uh they beat the Americans, and it was amazing. But let me just finish what you said there. It's like I love Canada, I love it, but I spent more time in this country than any other country in life. I was 10 years in Canada, 11 years in Canada, and um I'm 26 years, 27 years, 28 years a year, and then you know my time in Ireland. So I love Canada. It's it's a great place to go visit.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

But today's not about Canada, AJ.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

It's well it is well, no, it's not. Do you know what's up? Do you know what it's about? Freedom. Freedom, America. Um I'm uh very excited though. There's so much going on this weekend. Like there's a buzz in the air. There's I feel like there's always a buzz here in Charleston, but I I do feel like we have got the greatest country or the greatest city in the world. And as we always say on this show, we're we shoot the show here in downtown Charleston, and um it's just a great place to film. And there's a lot of streets that are shut down right now because of the biggest fireworks show in the country is going to be done here in Charleston. Is that true? Yeah, the US is a fact. It's a hundred percent fact. USS Yorkton at Patriots Point um is doing a full July 4th ceremony on the actual aircraft carrier.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

I've I've watched a bunch of those from the um from the uh battery over the years. It's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Yeah, waterfront uh uh uh uh waterfront park fireworks over the water. I mean, you know, and if you if you are are in town and you're looking for a meal and it's a steak place, you want some like good thing. I can't I can't tell you enough how much I love Hall's Chop Chop House. They're uh they're one of the best. But uh, you know, I actually saw this on uh on the History Channel like two or three days ago. I and I've heard about this, but I I watched this whole documentary on on June 28th in 1776. You know what happened there, Sean?

SPEAKER_02 10:02

Uh 12 days before the Declaration of Independence was signed, the British sent nine warships to destroy a half-built fort on Sullivan's Island right out of the harbor.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

And that's right, like I live close to Sullivan's Island, and I know that for like my when we I go to the beach in the morning with the dog uh and the kids, we walk through this fort. Like we it's insane. And this fort was built out of palmetto logs, which is the national tree of Charleston. And I've heard this story before, but I didn't understand how unbuilt the fort was and how crazy, you know, how strong the British Army was. But the British fired 70,000 pounds of ammunition at it. And the saving grace of this half-built fort, they were outmanned, outnumbered, was these logs because they just absorbed the cannonballs. They didn't, they didn't shatter, it just took it. Just like a fat kid eating smarties in your belly. You know? Um, and uh that right there was a big part of the American victories in the Revolutionary War, right? So it's uh it's very cool that I'm here in Charleston and the pomado tree, the palmetto tree, palato tree became South Carolina's state symbol because of that, Sean. I you I know you've lived here your whole life, but I just uh wanted to bring you up on a little South Carolina history here.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

Well, do you want to know a fun fact about palmetto trees and why they lean south?

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Why?

SPEAKER_02 11:21

Because Georgia sucks so hard.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Whoa. I thought you were gonna go for a pam, pam, pam, pam. That was a that was is that is that a dad joke?

SPEAKER_02 11:30

But it was it's also a little college football rivalry.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Oh, is it really?

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:35

So how do you say the joke?

SPEAKER_02 11:37

The palm trees lean south in South Carolina because Georgia sucks so hard. Whoa, I like it. I like it. There's a little Gamecock bulldog rivalry.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Oh, that's right. Right. Oh, yeah, because uh some of my neighbors are they're dogs. I love how they say dogs here. They go, Are you Georgia dog? Are you a Georgia dog?

SPEAKER_02 11:56

I don't really have a dog in that fight. My wife's a Gamecock family. My other my family's a Clemson family, and I actually been paid by Georgia to do a lot of work. So I mean, well, I usually go with the one that's paying me.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Yeah, I like Clemson and I like Gamecocks. Uh I love going up to Clemson. That's a awesome campus. So um I'm uh yeah, it's it's one, it's like the Clemson campus is awesome. We went up there and watched a couple games. I went to a Game Cox uh thing as well. I always bring up Brian Frick, who one day will be on the show. And uh uh he's brought me to all of those experiences. He's my special little buddy. But um one quick thing I just want to say before we get in the show, and this is crazy and insane at the same time. So we're so proud and so so grateful for everybody that's tuned in. The show, as I've said before, is just taking off at levels that we did not expect, that most shows don't see for doing it for years, and and we're just breaking records every week. Today we had one of the most downloaded days um ever, and uh, we're just doing what we're doing. And it's because you guys are responding and um just being a part of this. But the one thing I'm I'm gonna ask you. I I I know I don't ask a lot, but I I I want to ask this. So when we got all the data back, 70% of you listening right now are repeat listeners who who just haven't subscribed yet. So if you keep coming back, if you got a cold one in your hand right now, and you got that other little finger of yours free, reach down and hit subscribe. And for those of you who don't know how to spell, it's S-U-B-Scribbed.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

That's perfect, dude. You spelled that just right.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

That's how I'd spell scribbled.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

So um, we're also sitting at number 10 on the charts today. Are we really? Number 10. No freaking top 10 countdown, and we're number 10 on the charts.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

No way. That's awesome. What other countries are we charting in?

SPEAKER_02 13:43

United Kingdom at number 28.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Whoa, what is are we on Ireland yet?

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Uh not today, but Netherlands at 70. Wow. And then we're in Sweden, Taiwan, Belgium, and South Africa today. These change daily, by the way. These charts are.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

That is so cool, man. Well, um, top of the monitor. No, that's uh that's uh that's Ireland. So uh, anyways, uh to all you guys all around the world, appreciate you guys. And if you're uh wherever you are on the planet, if you're hearing this voice, hit subscribe. Hit subscribe. Um, let's get into the top 10 most viral American moments.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

Welcome to Unfiltered Friday's top 10 viral moments of the week on the AJ Buckley Show.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

There we go. All right. All right, play play the tape, Sean. Play the tape.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Number 10. Put it in reverse, Terry. Every 4th of July, one man becomes America's greatest folk hero. And that man is Terry.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

First off, his name is Terry. Look at this guy. All right, so he's obviously had a cop of cocktails. God bless him, he's in the chair. He still wants to participate. I get it, but it's just how is this video not number one?

SPEAKER_02 14:51

It's so iconic.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

I know. It's so iconic. And look at their their their friend. Like, there's cars passing by. Like, no, I think it looked like it's raining too. He's helping them like a true friend. He's like, there it is. And then he's like, it doesn't work. It doesn't work.

SPEAKER_02 15:08

This is a good Duracell commercial, dude.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

It just like his friend doesn't even go to save Terry. He's like, dude, go to the other side. Your boy is he's got a cast on. I mean, oh, it finally works. Put it in reverse, Terry.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

He's a good sport about it, though. Look out.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

He's like, he's like, what worse can happen? I'm in a chair right now where the battery just died. So Terry, I mean so, so funny. God bless Terry, though. You know, you think about it. Terry is like every neighborhood dad on the fourth, who just had one too many bud lights, and he's decided he could operate a firewall clearly labeled, professional use only. But I'll tell you, Terry, Terry rolls up in that treat in on the chair like that. You know, everyone's like, Terry's got this. Terry's got it. He was committed, man. You have to respect the commitment. He did, you know. The fireworks just went a little sideways, and uh that's what happens. But Terry Forever, right there, you are uh you are a committed man. You are more than a committed man, Terry. I'd say he's an artist. In a different world, Terry is an engineer, okay? In this world, Terry is a legend. And he, I mean, I went what year did that happen?

SPEAKER_02 16:16

I don't know. Years ago years ago.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

It's years ago. I mean, because every 4th of July this pops up, and you always hear, put it in reverse, Terry.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

It's become a staple in my vocabulary. Has it really? Oh, dude. This is iconic.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

I love it. Well, put it in reverse, Terry. Happy birthday, America.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Number nine. Barbie Jeep downhill. Number nine, a grown adult man straps himself into a Barbie Power Wheels Jeep and sends it down massive hills at full speed in front of a crowd of thousands.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

I love stuff. Like these, these Barbie Jeeps, okay? My daughter had one back in the day. It is hard to fit in one of them. But the fact that they've turned this into an actual sport, okay, this is this is America at his absolute finest, right? I mean, you see the guy probably saw an ad, or his buddies are talking about this this Jeep, Barbie Jeep contest. He's looking at his daughter's Barbie Jeep. He looked at that that steep hill and he said to himself, you know, I just need to know. I need to taste it. I need to taste. I feel like I'm the man that can bring it home and make my family proud. You know, he's not reckless. He is not, nah. He is a scientist, a brave pink driving barbie truck scientist.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Dude, that thing's moving. Oh, yeah, look at that.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

I mean, look at the look at those guys going around the corners like that. I mean, you will you that is not, you know, you're gonna get messed up. You know, he has zero business going that fast. They're not built for that. But look, I mean, that the the suspension helds up on some of them. You know, they survived. The crowd goes absolutely mental.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

I would do it. Would you would you do this?

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Of course. I mean, this is why this is the greatest country in the world, Sean. We did not invent the Barbie Jeep just for kids, okay? We intended it for adults to fly down a hill completely intoxicated and break their their legs.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

I'd do this sober.

SPEAKER_01 18:03

Of course you would.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

All right, just half nude, full of body paint.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

Well, God bless you, buddy. As we get older, it is so important to stay on top of our blood work. That's why I'm incredibly proud to have Pure RX, one of our sponsors of the show. Go to aj.purex.co, type in time to shine in the notes, and you will get 50% off your blood work. It's summertime. You want to go camping, you want to go off-road and get your truck, a lift kit. Go to total off-road. TJ and Dan are my guys here in Charleston. They're the best. Huge thank you to them for being sponsors of the show. You got a Paven Princess, head to Total Off-Road, get your truck lifted like a real man.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

Number eight. Alaska Glacier View Car Launch, 300 foot cliff. Every 4th of July, a small town in Alaska called Glacier View celebrates independence by driving junk cars off a 300-foot cliff. This year, it's 38 cars.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

I mean, this I I remember seeing this. Remember, we talked about like we should go there one, like maybe next year we should try and do a live podcast from here. This would be the greatest live 4th of July podcast of all time. Just get into like be an announcer at this.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Yeah, we were talking about like traveling there to do this.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

Yeah, that would have been sick. I mean, Alaska would be a great place to go. But you know, did you know that Alaska they banned fireworks?

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Okay, that's that's un-American.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

So they banned fireworks, but in 2005, this one guy he basically told his wife, I want to drive a Volvo off a 300 cliff, and uh it turned into this. Now thousands of people literally will show up every single year. They paint their cars red, white, and blue. It is the most patriotic thing. They put a like a brick on the uh uh on the car and it freaking shoots off the cliff. Like, and and there's like a little river that separates these people, but sometimes it gets pretty close, but it just looks like the greatest show on earth in Alaska.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Yeah, 38 cars went off that cliff this year.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

I bet you Russia, because we're Alaska is obviously close to Russia, uh, I bet you Russia looks through their goggles and they're like, these Americans, they they're driving car off the cliff again. It's like a crazy, you know, there's the like if you if you didn't had never been to America, that's the only thing stopping them from invading Alaska. They're like, don't do it.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Yeah, no, no, thanks.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Yeah, Gorbachev was like, nah, we let let them be. Call it off. Sometimes you get like two of them just flying off the cliff and smashing to each other. I mean, just everything about it, it's like cars, cliff, flying off in the air, and then thousands of people cheering at that for thank you, for hours and hours and hours and hours. God bless Alaska and God bless that cliff and that man that came up with the genius idea to bring the country together up in Alaska.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

Number seven.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Max D double backflip at Gillette Stadium. The monster truck maximum destruction, Max D lands a double backflip in front of 60,000 people at Gillette Stadium.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

I mean, I I took my boys to the monster trucks, and you want to talk about America? It is just big and and and crazy there. And the sound of the engines of them, you know, is unbelievable. But this double backflip, okay. There's there's other ones I think that are up there with American moments like Gravedigger, and you know, I think there's another American uh Patriot um uh monster truck, but it is fun. My boys, and I'm I'm gonna not gonna lie, I freaking love going to the monster truck. The monster jam, you know, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. This Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, monster jam, jam, jam. It's just so exciting.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

When I was younger, my dad worked at a place and they built one of the Bigfoot trucks. One of the Bigfoot Monster trucks. Oh, yeah, Bigfoot, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

That's the one I was thinking about. Bigfoot.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

It was really cool. I got a picture. I don't know where it is at the moment of me and my dad when I was little, just standing in front of it. He helped put the suspension on it.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

When you think about it, though, a double backflip flip in a monster truck. You know, that thing weighs like 12,000 pounds. And you do a double backflip in the air with your body inside. That's not driving, okay? That's defying physics on purpose and freaking winning.

SPEAKER_02 22:25

When I see those videos now online, it almost looks like AI. Like how fast they get them to flip.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

Well, this is this stuff is is again that's that's the the shitty part about AI is you just never know. But this right here, this is all American. This is real. Well, other countries are playing chess. We're we're literally flipping 12,000-pound trucks in front of 60,000 people on a Friday night drinking a bud light and a foot long. That's why we're number one. God bless us. In that case, um, we should have a fireball. It's it's almost the 4th of July. I don't even really like fireballs, but I say, you know what, let's do one on camera. Not a fan of cinnamon, but it's America. It's the birthday. 250 years of freedom.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Cinnamon was AJ's stripper name.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Yeah. I mean, I'd go for it. Okay, this is a fireball. It says cinnamon whiskey. All right, here we go. Happy birthday, America. That's freaking terrible.

SPEAKER_02 23:31

Great advertising. Well, we know who's not gonna sponsor the show. Well, you're having a nice watch.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

I just uh that's horrible.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

I'm leaving all of this.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

That's not good. You good? I'm keeping it down. America.

SPEAKER_02 23:51

You look like Macho Man Randy Savage right now.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Elizabeth, boom.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

We got a little dirt here. Yeah, you been wrestling? What? You've been wrestling?

SPEAKER_01 24:01

No, I've been playing with the cows.

SPEAKER_02 24:04

Move?

SPEAKER_01 24:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

Moving the home.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

Speaking of bad dad jokes, I I always um love this. I don't know why it cracked me up. This old friend of mine, Sean Kerrigan. Him and I were out on a Halloween, and we came up with a joke because it was, I think he was dressed as a cow or somebody was dressed as a cow. And I was like, hey, Sean, what does a scary cow say? And he said, What?

SPEAKER_00 24:28

And I went, boo-hoo.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

And I said, Moo hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo. And I swear to God, the two of us could not, we thought, like, for a good 20 minutes, we're like that painful cry where you almost pick your pants. And I say it now, I'm like, that's something every time I I think about it, it's like, what's scary cow say?

SPEAKER_02 24:49

That's like a laffy taffy joke. You know, or the popsicle sticks.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:52

Dude, you might be onto something right there.

SPEAKER_01 24:54

Man, I gotta tell you, I feel a little warm and fuzzy right now. Okay, I'm starting to sweat, so let's get into what number we had, Sean.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

Number six. Evil Knievel. Caesar's Palace crash in 1967. On New Year's Eve in 1967, Evil Knievel attempts to jump the Caesar Palace Fountain on a motorcycle, and it does not go to the way he planned. It is one of the most American things ever filmed, and it's kind of hard to watch. So viewer discretion advised.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

Yeah, so I remember obviously I didn't see this when I was a kid because I was born in 77, but I remember seeing videos of this. Like, you know, you got all your Travis Pastranas and all this guy. This guy, like a like a faceless helmet, a uh uh look at the bike there, it does not even have the proper suspension. It's a motorcycle, maybe it's just a motorcycle, like it was that an Indian or I don't know what kind of motorcycle it is, but it is just he hits that thing, a wing and a prayer, and it's not like he was the first man to do it, okay? Like, and this is this is where it all starts before Max D, before Monster Trucks, before before any of it. Evil Knievil, he was just a man from Montana in a cape who said, I'm gonna jump that fountain on New Year's Eve in front of the entire country, you know?

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Yeah, he hit that ramp and just tumbled for what feels like half a mile across the pavement.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

Can you imagine meeting his wife? And he's like, babe, I got it. And she's like, Oh gosh, no. And she's uh he's like, Hold my beer. You know, he was in a coma though for 28 days or something, but he did wake up and he said, I want to jump again. I want to do it. And that right there, that is the American. That is the that is the America that I know. Doesn't matter where we are, we just get back up and let's go again. Because it's not how many, what's that that quote?

SPEAKER_02 26:39

It's not it's not how many times you fail.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

Yeah, it's how you I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

I'm in no position to give people philosophical advice.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Well, it's not how many times you fail, it's how you get back up. Rocky says it. It's his speech. Remember?

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:53

Let's pull it up, Sean.

unknown 26:55

Oh man.

SPEAKER_02 26:56

Come on, you're getting too philosophical.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

No, this is a great this is this is the four it's a Rocky speech. No matter how many times you fail, let's hear it.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

Here's the exact quote: it ain't how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

That's right, and that is evil Knievel right there. Okay. Evil Evil Knevel did not fail. He just previewed the landing for the next time. He got back up, cracked a beer, sucked some food through a straw for 18 months, and was, you know, the original founder of Ozempic, and uh got shredded, went back 70 pounds lighter and cleared it. Didn't he? Because he he actually landed it the next time.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

Yeah, I believe so.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

So there you go. If you uh jumping through a fountain, too. Let's just say this there's water, like he like blinded by the water, you know. Have you seen that fountain? I don't know if it's still there, it might be still there. What a moment, though. What a moment. And if you when you look back at that video, just the people and like the time we were in in America, like that's just that was America. That was America. All right, what we got next, Sean?

SPEAKER_02 28:07

Number five. AJ, it wouldn't be a top 10 American countdown without a Florida man story. So, number five, Florida man wrestles an alligator on I-95 barefoot. Jacksonville, Florida, a call comes in. A nuisance alligator on the median interstate of I-95, and the police respond. A licensed trapper is called, and that trapper is Mike Dragic, also known as the blue-collar brawler.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

I mean, look at this, guys. First of all, this guy's outfit is a tailored camo onesie.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

Look at those jorts.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Those, I mean, the guy's jacked, so he's like the guy's not only jacked, he's barefoot on the side of a highway, and he literally is like, hold my beer, I am going to wrestle this alligator left hand. Like, just like just like I've talked about the last couple podcasts. We have, you know, we had a gator in our backyard in the um in the water, and I was it was only four and a half, five feet, and I was terrified. This dude in traffic, trucks whizzing by, he's just jumps on top of it. You know, he doesn't have any gear, he doesn't have any shoes or anything. He's he's he's just wearing his camouflage shorts and his sleeveless shirt. You know, he just shows up to a six-foot gator on an active interstate, and he just gets on his back like no big deer with his bare hands, bare feet, tapes his mouth, throws it in his truck, and goes back to his hockey game. I mean, if that doesn't scream, I'm a blue-collar brawler and I don't give a.

SPEAKER_02 29:35

He went back to his kids' hockey game. What a what a legend.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Yeah, I mean, the second period had not even ended. His kids didn't not even know he left, right? That is a Florida man at the absolute peak of his power. No shoes, no gear, a six-foot gator, interstate highway, done before halftime. God bless this country and the men that it produces. God bless Florida, because there's nowhere else on earth, on planet earth, that happens like that and with such a fashionable presence. A tailored onesie from Mossy Oaks.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

Number four.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

So this is 90. So I'm uh I moved to uh I just had been moved to Canada. Um and uh no, I'd been in Canada for a while. Um but I don't remember this, but I have like memories of it, if that if that makes sense. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 30:45

You would have been a little kid then, right?

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Yeah, I was you know, like four or five, something like that. I don't know. But at any rate years later, I have this opportunity. This is a crazy thing. Um, I just done a pilot with Gavin O'Connor called Murphy's Dozen. And Gavin O'Connor, who's directed some of the best movies out there, um, he was doing this movie, and I get called in to do it. Now, everyone had said, like our agents were like, Oh yeah, you live up in Canada, you've you've been up there, you know how to play hockey. I'm like, yeah, I can play hockey. I mean, sure. So I hadn't played hockey in years, and by no means there's playing like pickup hockey in the streets and you know this, but then there's ice hockey, and there's a way that the ice, the blade touches the ice and cuts, and it makes this like it's just it's so intense. So I show up the day before or two days before, I head out to like a a ring in Los Angeles that I can, an ice rink that I can practice on, and I'm skating. I'm like, okay, I kind of still got it. Like it's you know, I got it, I'm pretty good. Um, but we could we couldn't bring like a hockey stick and a puck out there. So I get out to the audition, and before you can actually audition, like say words, everybody didn't matter who you were as an actor, everybody had to skate. Like everybody. And I was on um uh I hadn't I hadn't been cast in CSI New York yet. This is before, so I didn't know Eddie Cahill, but I saw him there. Remember seeing Eddie there, and he um and a bunch of other actors that were in it, they were all there. So we're all broken up into groups. And um, if you made a past group, they'd tell you to stay. If you didn't, they'd tell you to go. It's pretty intense. But the actual U.S. Olympic coaches were there. So I show up, and as soon as I walk in, like you open up the, I know where anybody's been to like a an ice rink, you open up and like it gets cold at that breeze, and you're like, oh, and it's a different atmosphere. I walk through there and I've got like my hodgepodge like mixed mash bag of of uh of hockey equipment. I walk out and I like see people playing, and I'm like, oh, they're not gonna double us. Like, we're not gonna have double. This is oh no, he doesn't, he wants everybody to be because these are real hockey players. These the actors were there had played some type of competitive hockey, or he was gonna cast actual hockey players. And when I say my mind, this is the first time I was like, oh no, Gavin knows me, and I'm about to just embarrass myself. I get out there, I'm third up in the line where you have to like you gotta um you basically skate up to the first, I don't even know the terms, the first line, the red line or blue line. Then you gotta skate backwards. You receive um a pass, you've got to go around the first circle there, and then you gotta um slap shot, and they have like a target, two targets you have to hit, dude. So the first guy, two guys in front of me, they're like do the thing score. It comes to me, dude. It was the most painful thing ever. I'm literally like this click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click. And I can't I'm like, I'm moving at like such a slow speed, and I can see Gavin over in the corner, and he's just in shock. I can see he's just like, oh, and I go, boom, and then the puck comes to me and I go to reach out to it and I fall. But the coach was saying, get up and finish it. And everyone's like smacking their sticks, like, finish it. They're trying to like be be, you know, encouraging. Come on, you could do it, little buddy. I'm like, oh, this is even worse. I just wanted to skate off. So I like get up, I'm like skating, and then it comes back again. I fall again. It's like everybody else took about 30 seconds. I'm like a minute and a half going in. I'm still not around. They finally just get the puck and like go throw it up the thing. And I don't even go to the next thing. I just look at scap I skate-ass Gavin, and I'm like, thanks for the opportunity. He goes, It's all good, AJ. He's like, I still love you. I just continued. I went in there, like, took everything off.

SPEAKER_02 34:32

I'm like, well, that's um definitely not getting and for the audience listening, this was your audition for the movie, The Miracle on Ice.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Yeah, The Miracle. Yeah. Yeah, the movie The Miracle, uh, Miracle on Ice. And uh uh it was pretty crazy. But this this is uh one of the greatest American moments ever in sports history when you think about it. Right? Because the Russians had won the last six Olympics, right? Five or six five of the last six. Yes. And they were they were like real professionals. These kids were just college kids who had lost uh to them. Like in, I think they like three days prior to that, they played them in an exhibition match and they lost 10 to 3. So this this game of them winning, it I mean it was such a moment that America needed. Um, and that's what sports does.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

Yeah, then Al Michaels at the final buzzer with five words that became the most famous words in American sports history.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

Do you believe in miracles?

SPEAKER_01 35:27

Yes. I mean, you think about it, I get I get chills every single time I watch that movie. And I'm I'm Irish, I'm not even born yet. No, I was born. Yeah, I wasn't born yet. You weren't born yet.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

But it still gets me too, AJ.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Yeah, but it does give you a little tingle. A little tingle between your legs. That's right. America. One of the best sports moments. But that that that moment truly belongs to everybody who loves this country because it's the best, I would say it's the best sports moment in American history, not even close. Alright, let's continue this on.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Number three. Mary Lou Rettin, 1984 Olympics, the perfect 10. In Los Angeles of 1984, Mary Lou Rettin is 16 years old, and she has a partially torn cartilage in her knee. She had surgery five weeks prior, and she needs a perfect tin on her final vault to win the gold medal. Not a 9.9, but a 10.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

I mean, just this isn't like first of all, look at the hair, the outfits. It's just the 80s were just something special. Like, if they're saying what what year would you like to go back to and live and raise, I'd be the 80s. The 80s. Oh, yeah, dude. You know, like wham.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Dude, look at your hair right now and picture you in a teeth trans an Oh yeah, man. Smoky and the bandit. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

Twisted sister.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Yeah, like I would fucking Van Halen.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

Oh, yeah. That would be awesome. But but this this little like warrior, she's four foot nine, okay? She's 16 years old. She's got one good knee, and she runs down the runway, hits the vault, and sticks it perfect. But like the pain that she was in, able to like pull through no matter what in focus, and she gets a perfect 10. It's a straight gold medal, and and she you could tell in her face when she landed, she she she knew she got it before this go the uh the score even posted.

SPEAKER_02 37:19

Yeah, that's pure joy right there. You can't fake that.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

No, you can't. You can't. I mean, you got a four foot-nine Mary LaRue Retton from West Virginia, and she just beat the whole world on one good knee. Okay, that's what this country does. That's what the show is about on Filtered Friday, America's greatest moments. It's time for another fireball shot. Just kidding. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 37:42

I don't want to see you throw it.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

July kidding, unless you're serious. Um, what do we got?

SPEAKER_02 37:47

Number two. Number two, Whitney Houston's Super Bowl national anthem in 1991. On January 27th in 1991, the country is at war in the Gulf and the whole nation is watching. Whitney Houston walks to the microphone.

SPEAKER_01 38:07

That was pretty uh I I for the longest time I thought I could hit that note, and then I I think you could.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Yeah, I really think you could.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

Two more fireballs in a whip. Right there. Right there. So uh, I mean, look, there's there's two of the greatest anthems ever sung, and I would say this by my it's a it's a solid first. But Chris Stapleton's one was man, you know. I think we talked about him last week because he was here, and uh he's just and like I said, when you told me it was a boring story, I would love to be able to sing like well to be honest, if all of a sudden there's like choose, do you want to be able to sing like Chris Stapleton or Whitney Houston? I'd be like, Can I have a mix? Like if you were to put it in a blender, and you know, I don't even know what that would sound like, but it would be what I'd want to be.

SPEAKER_02 38:51

Um, but give me Whitney Houston without the habits.

SPEAKER_01 38:54

Yeah, like crack kills. Um, but if you think about the time that we were in it right then, right? And it's that's what I love about these moments that bring the country together. Like right now with the World Cup, countries all over the place, foreigners have traveled from far and wide, and they come here and they're like, guys, this is brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

I seen another one last night.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

Uh with them. It was like I'm trying to think where they were from. I think it was Scotland.

SPEAKER_01 39:21

They're always from Scotland.

SPEAKER_02 39:22

And they were they were like dying over how good Sonic's was.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:27

Have you seen that one?

SPEAKER_01 39:28

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:29

Oh man, it's so funny to me.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

I mean, but they just love America. Like, people, people are going back. Watch next year, our tourism thing is just gonna go through the roof, as it should. Because and it people talk about more the the the the the tourists talk about more about the people. Like they're like, the people in this country are some of the nicest people, like people buying them drinks, people like stopping them showing. Like, that's this country, guys. We are there's so we have so much more in common than we do. Um uh that we're we're we're we that we have different from. How do they word that?

SPEAKER_02 40:00

That we have different that we we have more in common than we have in differences.

SPEAKER_01 40:05

And differences, yeah. That took you a second too, bro. These these these that fireball just kicked in. Yeah, I can't film a place. Um, so but look the speaking of the the Whitney Houston thing in moments, right? Like at that time of the year we had troops that or at that time in America, troops were deployed, okay? The country is tense, and then she just like opens her mouth and the whole country just exhales. It is the greatest national anthem performance in history with Chris Stablin following second. But uh, we needed that.

SPEAKER_02 40:37

Yeah, that recording charted twice, once in 1991, and then again after 9-11 because the people needed it.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

Oh, I didn't know that, really? Mm-hmm. That's crazy. Well, that tells you everything about performance, you know? It's not just a song, it's a feeling, and she she really owned it. Okay, Whitney Houston. Kids, say no to crack, say no to drugs, because that talent right there was taken from us way too early. Rest in priest, rest in priests, guy. This fireball's kicking. Ristin, sorry, eating the microphone. Whitney Houston, snippet-doo-day, yppity-day. Um, Whitney Houston, rest in peace. Okay, you gave us this anthem that this country for every 4th of July, for every moment in sports history, one of the greatest gifts ever.

SPEAKER_04 41:21

So I will always love you.

SPEAKER_01 41:24

Terrible. All right, let's move on.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

Dude, another fireball shot, and we're gonna change this from a top 10 to a karaoke live.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

Yeah?

SPEAKER_02 41:31

I think so, dude. I think you would crush karaoke right now.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

Okay, well, here we are. Here we are. Three pillars of discipline: spirit, mind, body. In that order. That right there is the foundation of a company I started called Born of Discipline. It's incredibly important to me, this company incorporates my faith, the lessons I learned from my father on discipline, pain from regret, or pain from discipline is something my dad always said to me. And I've incorporated that into my life, and I want to share it with you. Go check it out at bornofdiscipline.com.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

And the number one viral moment of the week on the AJ Buckley show is Hulk Hogan slams Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

Pontiac Silverdome, 93,000 people, AJ, and still one of the largest attended wrestling events in history. The Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant. And before we get to the slam, let's talk about that entrance.

SPEAKER_01 42:36

I mean, I have a story. I'm not gonna give names, but I'm gonna tell you something while you watch this video here. Because I remember where I was exactly, and I remember what I remember having a back in the day, they're called converters, and it was like a cord that went to the TV. And I remember we to get anything, and you moved it, and like it was expensive to buy, and we didn't have a lot of money, so like I remember like us getting it and being so excited. And when that like the walkout happened, as a kid, you were just like, This is in Madison Square Gardens and everywhere. Like, no, we'd never seen anything like this.

SPEAKER_02 43:11

Hell yeah, bro.

SPEAKER_01 43:11

Like, we would go to Kmart. Did you ever have Kmart here?

SPEAKER_02 43:14

Oh, we had Kmart here.

SPEAKER_01 43:15

Yeah, so we would go to Kmart Blue Light Special, and I'd pick up Hulk Hogan Hulk Hogan fucking vitamins. Get some vitamins and a bigfoot pizza. Eat your vitamins, brother. Um, and uh, I mean, it was next level. Like Hulk Hogan was everywhere. I'd rip off my shirt, you know, because I was that it's just it was the greatest. So when this happened, it was unbelievable.

SPEAKER_02 43:35

I was wearing this outfit last week on Unfiltered Fridays.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

I know you were, Sean. You uh you had them boots on too. Except what you what Hulk Hogan's the difference between Hulk Hogan's boots and your boots, your boots have heels.

SPEAKER_02 43:49

Yeah, well, I gotta fix that height advantage I got four foot five.

SPEAKER_01 43:53

It's like, and when I what came into the office today, you were you were what's that that Beyonce song?

SPEAKER_02 43:57

Face down ass up?

SPEAKER_01 43:58

No, that that Beyonce song. Song. We should go to uh oh I told you this is gonna turn into karaoke. You know, do you remember that that song? Justin Timberlake did it on Saturday Live?

SPEAKER_02 44:11

I I I know what you're talking about, but you're not doing very much. But you were wearing describing it.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

You were playing that song walking around your boots.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

It's cool.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

Hey, man. It's 4th of January. They made a play about it on Broadway. You know, something about red boots. That you know the song?

SPEAKER_02 44:24

I know what you're talking about. You're just doing a terrible job describing it.

SPEAKER_01 44:28

I've had a fireball. And I can't feel my face. Uh, but to the Hulkster. I will tell you this, and this is a story that I have to share. But uh, I was somewhere with someone, and they were very much close to this event in the Madison Square Gardens. And from what I was told, the entrance of Hulk Hogan and the entrance of all of them, there was some things that were, let's call it booger sugar, taken prior to the walkout. And if you look at everybody's faces participating in the ring, yeah, they unsniffed that snow went up their nostrils, and they brought the Hulkamania. There's only one way you can pick up Andre the Giant, and that's drinking the cog. Telling you about I'm telling you sugar management. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pablo Escobar was the Hulkster's best friend. He had him on Speed Doll. You know what I mean? He was, I guarantee you, Pablo was at Madison Square Garden because the Hulkster, the Hulkster, go watch this video again and just think about what I said. I'm telling you right now, God rest, Terry's soul, Hulk Hogan, you did so much. You did so much from my childhood. But when you can pick up a 520-pound man, okay, who was seated on the throne, okay, and you were carried to the ring, right? The crowd was just stunned. That entrance alone is one of the greatest things in history, sports, entertainment. Like, hands down.

SPEAKER_02 46:05

Did you ever see that movie with him where he's like a babysitter?

SPEAKER_01 46:09

Who?

SPEAKER_02 46:09

With uh Hulk Hogan?

SPEAKER_01 46:11

No.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

Oh man, it is it's like early 90s classic. Yeah, I think it's called the babysitter.

SPEAKER_01 46:18

I could be wrong, but it was like he's like, you gotta go to bed, brother.

SPEAKER_02 46:22

Yeah, and I think what made this so big is Andre the Giant had never been slammed before. Nobody's done it. His entire career he was unslammable, but a little motivation and a lot of protein powder.

SPEAKER_01 46:33

Yeah, no, no, yeah, that's what we call it, protein powder, vanilla. Um, but nobody ever lifted him before, and Hulk Hogan, the most American man to ever exist, a man whose entrance music is literally called the real American, picks up 520 pounds of this massive giant, gets him over his head, and drives him into the mat in front of 93,000 people, amongst the other millions and millions of people around the world. And I was I was one of those.

SPEAKER_02 46:59

Yeah, the noise in that building had to be something else.

SPEAKER_01 47:02

I mean, kids that that saw that moment are are grown adults and and and and they they still not fully recovered. Okay. Because this this that at that time, you know, when you think about it, that this is not wrestling, okay. That that this is like American mythology, okay?

SPEAKER_02 47:18

It's a statue moment.

SPEAKER_01 47:20

It really is. And Hulk Hogan, Honor to the Giant, WrestleMania 3. You you deserve this number one. This is don't you agree? This is the greatest number one we've ever had.

SPEAKER_02 47:29

Yeah, it screams freedom. It does.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

I mean, I I'm I whoa, I have a fly in here. Maybe it's the spirit of Hulk Hogan. Um, all right. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we have come to the end of the show. We literally, but I I before I end, I wanted to have some little patriotic video to play for everybody because this is what it's all about. Yes, we're celebrating the the birthday of 250 years, but to be honest with you, America would not be America if it wasn't for the men and women that chose to stand up and fight for something greater than them. And if we that's why I wore this hat today, back-to-back World World Champs. Um, for the men and women that and their families that have sacrificed so much this holiday is because of the people that have done it, the bloodlines prior to that have made this country the greatest country in the world. And uh, you can have your opinion about that. That's what the greatest part about this this country is. I've some of the guys I've talked to, I'm like, you know, they've done 20 years at war. And I I said, does it bug you that you know, sometimes you hear people shitting on the country and they're like, no. I said, why? He said, because that's freedom of speech, that's what we fought for. And you everybody's allowed to have their own opinion. He goes, go to other countries and try and shit on their country and see what happens. You get thrown off a building. Pow, I don't know if that's a funny, that wasn't a joke. Yeah, it's very sad.

SPEAKER_02 49:03

Sean I didn't want to hit that button today. It's 4th of July. I know.

SPEAKER_01 49:07

Give me some happiness. I'm still waiting for Sean to download. I thought for sure he'd have like some American music or firework sounds or something, but he was busy editing the podcast. You know? But while uh while I'm over here picking out my outfits for the last week and a half, getting ready to bring the hammer.

SPEAKER_02 49:25

I did a full wax job.

SPEAKER_01 49:30

That's uh yeah, that's the state of America. Um, but um before we go, AJ. Yeah, no, yeah, but but I want to finish this. Like the the the men and women that have have have done so much for this country, and I want to play a video because this video, every single time, it it gets me choked up. And um, I just want to say a special thank you to everyone out there who served our country. I want to say a special thank you to the families that have sacrificed as much as the men and women that go to war um to hold down the fort in this great country. So this uh this 250 celebration is for you guys. So thank you as an emigrant to this country for uh doing what you do. Much love from the AJ Buckley Show. Let's play the clip, Sean. I mean, it's just beautiful, right? Every single one of these hits right here, you got the kid in school, the dad walks in, you know, the kid just breaks. It's like you don't know, like your dad's been gone, you don't know what's gonna happen to him. You see the mom and her whole family loses it. And then there's the dog one. I mean, the dog ones that's they're always kidding. Because the dog always knows. Dog knows first before anyone says a word.

SPEAKER_02 50:47

Yeah, these are the real heroes of 4th of July.

SPEAKER_01 50:49

100%. These men and women, they leave their families, they serve their country, and they they come home, and that's it. And we're celebrating them today. Not not fireworks, not just the food. Every single one of you guys. Um, you know what? You know, I wasn't gonna do it because I thought I was gonna puke on the last one, but I'm gonna bear down right now. This one's for the troops. Okay, I don't know how this is gonna end. Hopefully they don't puke on the mic, but here you to you guys. To the troops. Here we go.

SPEAKER_00 51:27

Let me tell you. Let me tell you, brother. Let me tell you, brother. That's not good.

SPEAKER_01 51:36

That's not good. Not a fan of fireball. Ooh, okay. Let me tell you, my eyes are watering. Oh, that's so this is not good. Well, that was for you guys. Okay. I'm I'm like sweating on the inside. I don't know. I hate candy canes. That's what it tastes like. It's liquid.

SPEAKER_02 51:53

I didn't even know you had a gag reflex, AJ.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

Yeah, yeah. This is a kid's show. All right. On that note, um, you know, with there's so many things that I want to want to say right now. And uh a little behind the scenes. I like this podcast right now has been holding so much of me together. There's been stuff that's going on in the background, and I always want to be honest with you. The last couple months have just been the toughest months I've ever been through. And some people, oh well, I'm not complaining. Um everyone has their lows. But this podcast has been such uh a thing that I've just held on to. And I'm so proud to come in here every day and work my ass off. But it makes me so happy. Um just seeing the comments and seeing it grow. It's the one thing that's working right now. Um, and we all go through ups and downs, but I've never been through stuff like this before. And I've no people have DM'd and asked comments everything, and everything is okay, everything will be okay. I got God, I got my family, and unfortunately I have Sean. Yeah, you got me, dude. Yeah, that's super reassuring.

SPEAKER_02 53:03

No clothes on, but yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:05

But uh I really mean it, man. Uh I we're we started back in March, March 17th, uh St. Patrick's Day, and um now we're on America's birthday, and uh I just was really thinking about a lot. Um there's there's some times where uh I was like, I don't know if I can do a show today. And as soon as I sit in the chair and I start cracking jokes and telling a story, interviewing somebody, everything seems to sort of go away for that hour or hour and a half. So um for that I'm thankful and thank you for uh reaching out and stuff. But uh all is good, whatever it is that I'm going through, um, God, I really believe doesn't put you in situations that you can't figure out. You don't ask for an easier road, you ask for broader shoulders. So my shoulders are getting pretty big. So I love you guys. Um, I love this country. I'm so grateful for this country. And um, if it wasn't for this country, uh, and it wasn't for this country for all my ancestors that came over, all the Irish and the Italians. I reached a boy's Italian, as Jimmy Matthew would always say. Uh, this country was built on emigrants, and uh it's the greatest country in the world. And uh speaking of South Carolina, if you're British, you ain't got a shot here because we got a palmetto tree. Um, but I love you. So let the spirit lead, always, put God first, and God we trust. This is the greatest country. Wherever you are um in this country watching those fireworks, hopefully you've got some family around you and you can pull them a little closer because that moment right there is the things I remember about my dad. Just pull them closer, have that moment where the lights are going, seeing the kids' face um light up with the explosions. Um, so be safe this weekend. Uh, wherever you are. We'll see you next week. And uh have a great 4th of July. Happy birthday to America, 250 years. God bless this country, God bless our troops, and uh God bless the AJ Buckley podcast. We're out.

SPEAKER_03 55:11

And this concludes Unfiltered Fridays on the AJ Buckley Show. He's totally kidding, unless you're serious.