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Sound is speeding.

This is labeled “Coffee Take One.” I know it's early in the morning.

It's time to go to work.

You always say one’s work ethic is measured, what you do when no one's looking.

I know somebody else may be sleeping right now, but I'm watching you.

When I say workout, I want a good workout today.

All right.

I want some sweat.

I met Billy Gardell.

Before the pandemic.

But it was during the pandemic that he reached out to me as we were periodically with text back and forth.

He asked if I would give him an inspirational video.

He was in the process of trying to lose weight.

He said he needed something to motivate him.

So I put this together, push it beyond a little bit further than when you think you should get off.

And you know what?

We'll do a little bit further tomorrow.

So we had a good workout today and tomorrow or to next time I send this video.

And you know what?

If you feel like you can't do it, don't be a jagoff.

Don't be a jagoff.

Right.

Okay.

Do it.

So I love you.

And I do love Billy Gardell.

And I said, that's why I'm so excited about the idea of being able to meet with him today.

To talk about his journey.

It's pretty inspiring when you think about where he's been and where he's at.

And somehow it always goes back to Pittsburgh.

So I'm gonna get ready to go down that memory lane with him about this journey, the challenges, the heights, the lows.

But he always goes back to that same theme.

Don't be a jagoff and quit.

So let's go down that memory lane.

Billy, thank you for, doing this conversation with myself, because, we come back and I think you just said we met on the NFL today back around 2010.

Yes, sir.

Yeah 2010.

The NFL today.

You guys were nice enough to have me on to do a little sketch.

I got to be dressed like a coach, and y'all wanted everybody about what they were doing.

And I got to reenact that scene where you were yelling at Lloyd on the sideline.

You're like, look, rush the quarterback, right?

Look, that was a mistake.

You can't wiggle your nose and go back.

And we got to do that.

I still have that on on a on a DVD.

That's the thing.

Young kids that you put in a machine, you can watch it whenever you want.

It's not in the air, you can hold on to it.

But you were so gracious that week and you knew what a fan I was.

And my, my, my son was five at the time, and he got the run the camera up there and you guys were so great.

And, and that's that.

That was where I got to meet you And then we saw each other at the CBS upfronts every year, which was really nice.

And that was just an honor.

And I and I didn't realize that you actually, twirled the title for the 2004 playoff game against the New York Jets, where the kicker O'Brien missed a couple of kicks.

So you are absolutely good luck.

I mean, you know what?

I am 14 and 1 in my terrible towel and I and no no because as Myron Cope said, the towel has mystical powers and I believe I brought that the only loss was to New England, but that was back when they were videotaping.

So there's an astroturf, there's an astroturf on that that's under review.

I love it, so let's just go back.

You grew up in Swissvale?

Yes, Harrison Avenue.

We're at Harrison Avenue.

So what school?

What about what high school would that have been?

Because you move that at nine years old.

Yeah, 9 or 10.

We ended up, I was in, it was.

I went to Dixon Elementary, and then I started Swissvale high.

And at the end of junior high.

And then my parents split up and my mom remarried.

This guy took us to Florida, which was, you know, it is what life is life, you know, but what we would do is, you know, we're Yinzers.

So in the summertime, we did a school year down there, and then and then my dad would put us on a Greyhound bus, and I don't even think that's legal now.

But he put me, my brother and my sister on a Greyhound and Orlando.

We'd ride the bus all the way up to Pittsburgh, and then we'd spend the summer with them and, you know, Pittsburgh summers year in a row houses, and there's one air conditioner in one room.

So you just stayed in whatever room the window air conditioner was in for the entire day.

And then my old man would come home and I get to spend time with him and his wife, who was just lovely.

So we would do the summers back in Pittsburgh.

Did you work during the summers?

Did you were you working?

I wasn't old enough just yet.

I started working at about 15, you know, because that's a Pittsburgh thing.

You know, you need a job.

That's the first thing they ask you when they see you You working?

Are you working?

Not are you okay?

Are you working?

Are you working?

All right, my dad told me.

My dad told me before I left for LA.

He goes, they said the most Pittsburgh thing ever goes.

Well, you ain't pretty.

You ain't got no money, and you don't know nobody.

You better outwork everyone that was his advice for I got in the car.

Well, let's be real with you, right?

I mean, that's straight up, and I. And I put it in, I put it in because of him.

So when you came back in the summertime.

So then they ask you, did you how many times have you ever gone to Kennywood?

I'm a Kennywood junky.

I'm the worst.

Like, oh, man, I know, I mean, I blow my family out there like, when we got home.

I still go now and I will go till they shut the park till they're sweeping up.

Yeah, I love it.

What was your.

That was.

What was it?

What was your favorite roller coaster?

No, I was a Thunderbolt guy, but I was afraid of it for years.

I mean, like, I was like, in, like, a movie with little kids.

Like, I remember when The Thunderbolt, because that was the fastest rol coaster in the country at one time.

It's wooden.

And and you just it looked like it was going to eat you.

You know what I mean?

Like, we would come around that like that thing's going to eat me.

And but once I started riding it, that was, that was my favorite.

And I used to like the Log Jammer, but now they put the Steeler roller coaster in the way.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

No, the one that always would make me laugh was Noah's Ark.

Yeah, because no one, no one knew what the hell it was.

They just.

I feel like they put whatever was broken on any other ride in there, and they just turned that into Noah's Ark.

You're 18 years old.

You end up going to open My Comedy Club.

Yeah.

Was that your first time of doing stand up?

I had done stand up in the ninth grade talent show, and then I had done it and that went horribly.

It just went horribly.

And then I did it again in 11th grade.

But I knew I wanted to be a performer.

And my dad, who was my biggest fan because my dad wanted to be a, animator for Disney.

He was a good artist, but he never got to realize his dream.

And he was always in my corner, man.

He was always like, you can't quit.

You got to keep pushing.

You got to keep going.

And he he put that.

I always knew Pittsburgh and Florida was a good mix for me because in Pittsburgh, the pride of how you do your work, the pride of how you do your work.

So like when he said, when he said when you go into this business, you know, spend five hours a day reading about the actors you want to be like, watch the films that you want to be and watch the television stars you want to emulate and get your own voice from that but put your time in.

And then Florida.

I found the drama department in high school with a great teacher who was teaching us great acting teachers, even in high school was teaching a Stanislavski and Meisner, like, this guy was really ahead of the game.

And so I kind of learned to daydream and in Florida.

But I had my work ethic from Pittsburgh and those two things, really, that's what drove me.

That's what really it still does to this day.

So.

So did you take off from Florida to LA to to chase this passion of yours?

I did, I was I went on stage, at December 28th, 1987, for the first time in a professional comedy club.

It's called Bonkerz.

Back then, everything ended up with a Z Naughtyz Bonkerz, Chuck Chuck's whatever.

And, I went up, did great for, like, five minutes Where was Bonkerz at?

That was in Orlando, Florida.

Okay.

And I and I thought, oh, man, this is for me.

And then I was just terrible for like two years after that.

But I knew when that bug bit me, that's I knew that that was my calling.

And what I didn't realize was, you know, I knew at nine I wanted to be a stand up and an actor.

And I just thought everybody kind of knew what they wanted to be.

I thought everybody knew that.

And I, you know, and then you get a little older with your friends who still aren't sure what they want to do.

And I didn't realize what a blessing it was to know early exactly what I wanted to do and then to have my dad in my corner was, you know, that was everything.

So, so, so from what point did you how old were you when you went to LA?

I started doing stand up at 17 in Orlando, and then I did, about nine years on the road on the East Coast.

Just driving gig to gig.

No cell phone.

You just got an Atlas and a matchstick, and you're trying to find your way to gigs.

And.

And I drove all over the country on the East Coast, in the Midwest, northeast, southeast Did about ten years there getting good.

And then in 96, I guess I was about 25, 26 years old, and I moved out to LA.

And then another ten years later, I got a break from Mike and Molly.

So was 22 years doing overnight success.

Where did you meet Patty along the way?

I met Patty and my lovely wife.

I met her in Atlanta, Georgia.

I was, I saw her three times the day I met Saw her at a bank in Atlanta.

Then I saw her, and, she was at the show that night with her sister.

Nobody knew who I was.

She.

They were just coming out for a night of comedy.

And then I'm a jazz fan, and I went over this little jazz club, and she was in there.

So I figured three times, one day you gotta take a shot, right?

So I asked the bartender.

I said, well, what is that young lady drinking?

And he said, some wine I couldn't pronounce, you know, millions or I said, give me one.

So I took it over to her table and I said, hi, I'm Billy.

I said, drink this till I'm cute And I thought that was a great line.

I thought it was, but she looked I think she looked.

Yeah, but she looked at me and she goes, still drinking today.

She looked at me.

She goes, I'm going to need another one.

I was like, she shot me dead right where I was sitting.

And we've been together, you know, forever.

You know we've been together.

She stood by my side all the way through.

All way.

I think the one thing that I don't want to this period of time from 18 to 39 to to actually when, you know, you marry Patty and you know, you're 35 years old or 32 years old, and then you had your son, 35 until Mike and Molly, you went through some very challenging times.

You had sobriety and you're talking about weight gain.

Talk about like, what did you have to rely on?

And what was her was her upbringing in Pittsburgh, as I began to say to you, all right, listen, I got knocked down a plenty of times.

I got cut when I was a player.

You know, I remember sitting there trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, and then I get into coaching and all the disappointments of losing championship games.

You kind of just reflect back to your upbringing, like your father did about like being resilient.

It didn't mean when you get knocked down, you know what?

You get your ass back up.

Just get back up.

Right.

You know, there's a moment with you that I love more than any other moment.

And, it's it was the Super Bowl against Dallas.

And, and I think this speaks to the way we're raised up there, because it's not that you're not going to fall down.

It's what do you do after.

Right.

And that was always my pap's saying.

What are you going to do now?

What now?

Okay.

You know, my dad used to have a phrase.

He'd say, okay, he'd say, so what now what?

Yeah.

So what now what?

Get up!

Right.

And.

But there's a moment with you that I think most Pittsburghers love you for this more than anything.

We had lost to Dallas because O'Donnell through those two pick Right.

I'm still mad about those three, but it made Woodson a star.

He never heard that guy's name again anyway.

But there was this beautiful moment, man, you're you were literally walking off the field and your daughters came running up to you, and they were upset about the loss.

You kill.

It just killed me.

Did you?

And they caught you on mic And you said, hey, you win some, you lose.

some.

And to me, that's everything.

That's everything.

in Pittsburgher is.

That's that's the heart and fire of a lion who can look at defeats and go, if that guy can look at defeat like that and start climbing again, then I got no complaints.

And that's why you're a huge inspiration.

That's why you're a huge inspiration to me.

Well, you know what?

It's it's amazing because Sorry I cried more Forgive me, I do amazing, and I, I, I just go back to like like what you did I so and that and so you and that's your moment.

My moment to me is like when you came to me, you saw I need to lose some weight.

Yeah.

I said, okay, well let’s work at it.

And I remember every text I had from you was like, so okay, you still working out and let me know if you need another video.

So I made you that video.

This was, this is what happened when, you were so gracious to invite me to your Hall of Fame induction, which still kills me, that I missed, because that was going to be the week of my weight loss surgery.

But again, in true coaching and Pittsburgh fashion, you didn't even blink, man.

You just said, hey man, go do what you got to do to get yourself healthy and then after the after the surgery, I was still 378 pounds.

Right.

So I had gotten so big and hurt to go upstairs.

And so after the surgery, they tell you you're still with the weight you're at, but now you've got three holes in your stomach and you're, you know, they've done the surgery, but they're telling you you got to walk two miles a day to get your heart rate up and all that.

And I said, I need some inspiration.

And I called you back and I said, coach, will you please just make me a 30 second video that I can look at it in the morning to get up and go after it?

And you sent that video, man.

And it was, I just believe you when you speak and there's an authenticity with you that and you're my coach like my dad's coach was.

No, you're my coach like I claim you.

That's my time, right?

From 92 on, that's Cowher power.

That's my time.

So to have someone in your life that you admire, take a moment to inspire you.

It was.

It meant the world.

And you gave me some great advice.

But let's get up.

Let's get after it.

It's quiet.

It's early.

It's your time.

Get after it.

Let's push it a little bit more tomorrow.

But the thing that sealed the deal was at the end of your Video.

You go don't be a jagoff.

Hey.

Yeah, I'm.

I love this guy.

On that note, just just listen.

Let's see what we got.

Pittsburgh.

The city of champions and jagoffs So that's a new game show.

We're going to have a new game show we have here on both ends of the spectrum.

Right.

That’s what we have right there.

So that's why it's a very it's a very cultural it's a a it's a great city to be raised in.

And I just want you to know your your story is very inspiring as well to see where you are today.

Well, you were a part of that, brother.

I appreciate that.

So, I mean, you're back doing stand up again, which I think is so cool, right?

I mean, it's like it's the circle of life, like you kind of kind of come back right to what you started doing.

Right?

Well, and the thing is, man, it's like now, not you.

Look, you've made the transition into the booth, right?

And you've done it right beautifully.

Just a beautiful job with it.

And but I think I don't think Pittsburghers know how to not work.

Right.

I don't think like we're no good.

Like my wife will tell me even after three days.

She's like, you got to go do something.

I can't.

You can't clean the kitchen again.

You got to go do something.

And I think that work ethic, I think it fulfills us.

I think if and when I finished my second show, I did Mike and Molly for five years, and I did Bob hearts Abishola for five years.

And then I'm sitting around and I'd gotten healthy.

I changed my my whole appearance and all that.

I made myself unrecognizable.

So I got them right where I want them.

You know, the whole business went to the internet.

Nobody recognized me.

Okay.

Let's go.

But the idea of getting back up on stage again, I found I had some more to say.

And the direction I've been going with my stand up now is, you know, I got a 22 year old, and I want to be his coach.

I want to be his inspiration.

And we're that house where he knows his friends can come over here.

We'll shoot him straight.

And and the idea that I think I see a lot of comics ripping on this generation, and I don't think that does this any good.

All these kids are all going through what we went through when we grow up.

Who am I going to be?

Where am I going to live?

Am I going to love anyone?

Is anyone going to love me?

Then you had social media, then you had the state of the world.

These kids don't need anybody ripping on them.

They need an adult at the table.

Say, I'm rooting for you.

And if you got questions, ask if I can help you.

I will.

And I've found the real joy in getting back on stage and talking about that, talking about being married for 25 years and getting to the sweet spot.

And then and then the last part of my act is about my father, who was my inspiration for everything.

Give me a couple of bits from the new routine that's out there, because I know you're, the one thing about Pittsburghers, listen, the one thing we don't get enough credit for.

Yes, it's hard work.

Yes, it's grit.

We have some creativity about us, too.

We absolutely.

I mean, look, we produced Mr Rogers and Andy Warhol.

If that doesn't cover the entire spectrum, I don't know what you're doing.

You you stand up.

Give me a couple.

Well, but the stuff, like I said, I've been working on now is, is, you know, I talk about these kids, and I root for them.

But the thing I love talking about is making it through 25 years of marriage.

Right?

And I tell young kids, I go, they lie to you about love.

They tell you it's supposed to be this mystical thing where you have meet a partner who never gets on your nerves.

They always understand what you want to do.

That's a lie.

I go and stay away from from old couples that lie to you.

You ever run into that couples like we've been married 60 years and we've never said a bad thing to each other.

I hope you die in a forest fire.

You're lying to the children.

Let me tell you something.

You're not married until at some point when he has been in the driveway going.

And I'm never coming home.

And right after you do that, you go, I left my keys in the house.

God, you have to keep forgiving each other and keep moving forward.

And that's the thing that I talk about.

You know what?

And again, I go back to the same thing that is a Pittsburgh thing.

Because you know what it is about family.

It's having those uncomfortable conversations.

That's it.

One thing about a Pittsburgher.

They will not they'll tell you how they feel.

Whether you Don't ask, don't ask, hey, hey, we just go right to we go right to it like, but but you know what's beautiful about the humor in our city, coach?

And this is what I've always held on to, you know, and our humor is very, very distinct.

But it's not cruel.

No.

Our humor.

We can rightsize you.

But there's some love underneath the sentence so it doesn't hurt.

And to me, those are the funniest guys.

I'll give you one more.

My old man used to do this to me all the time.

At the height of Mike and Molly, we went, you know, he retired down to Orlando, got his dream house and worked his whole life, got his dream house, got two bedrooms and a pool.

So we're down there one time, we're visiting right after he retires.

And, you know, he felt his as his job as a Pittsburgh to make sure my head stayed the right size.

So you guys.

Hey, Bill, do me a favor.

Take the trash out, well it’s my pap.

I'm going to take the trash out.

Right.

So I'm tying up the bag.

I get about halfway out to the sidewalk and he yells across the street to his neighbor, hey, John, look at a big TV star taking out my garbage.

Now see, he ain't hurting nobody.

He's just saying, stay humble, stay humble.

Hey.

So so so I got to give you one one father story since you gave yours.

Yeah.

So 1992, we're we go to the playoffs my first year.

Right.

And so Neil, Neil Donald got hurt.

Bobby Brister came in.

So I was playing Bobby Brister.

But Neil Donald, I thought, should not lose his job to injury.

So I put him back in for the playoff game.

He hadn't played in over a month.

Probably shouldn't have done so.

I probably should let Bobby get continue because he had been playing.

We lose a game to the Buffalo Bills the next week.

I go over to Crafton and my father's in there and my brothers are there and my wife's and kids are there.

My dad's over there drinking that Iron City beer, and all of a sudden he's had a second beer.

I saw he pop, he goes, how about them Steelers?

How dumber than that.

Sit there and put Neil O'Donnell back into the game.

Yeah.

Playing over a month I go I go dad I go that wasn't them.

That was me your son that made that decision.

There is what he says.

You probably had a good reason.

I'm going like you want to know he's moved on.

He goes you probably have a good reason to myself.

Okay.

I got I guess, I guess I didn't do the right thing.

You didn't do the right thing, and then we'll let you know anyway.

We'll let you know.

You'll you you'll learn from that.

Like you'll get them next time.

Thanks, dad.

You'll get them next time you find yourself doing.

I want to make him proud.

That's number one to let them down.

It's not me either.

And you know what I learned to with my dad, man?

And that's that family Pittsburgh thing you talk about.

You know, when my father told me that I could do this for a living if I put the work in, I didn't ask nobody else because nobody else's opinion mattered more.

So once I got his.

Okay.

That's it.

Let's play ball.

You never forget where you came from.

We don't.

We don't, I said the moment, the moments that you sit there and wonder what you're going to do next, you go back and just say, just do something and just do the same thing.

There it is, the right thing, Mr.

Rooney, to always say to me, which is, you don't love this.

And so I be in there saying, listen, you know, I'm thinking about benching Cordell.

I'm not so sure I'm going to put him in like, I try to do my Tom Zack.

And, you know, Ben is not playing well, I think I need to pull back the reins a little bit, and he the instructor walk out and he go, coach, just do the right thing.

I'm going like, that didn't help much.

I guess.

I guess, I guess, I guess my go back, I got this.

Don't be a Jagoff.

Okay.

Well that's star.

That's the number one baseline.

That's that I think more people need.

I always tell my son when you walk out that door, it's Los Angeles, but when you come in this house, it's Pittsburgh.

Let's make sure we stay in touch.

Please, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.

I got to tell you one more quick story.

Because this was the best for my first terrible tile thing.

I was so honored.

Okay, you're down there.

It's Bettis, the gang, the home.

You know, we got that that that wonderfully violent defense that just chokes you out.

And by the way, I wish we would get a big pig running back again because there was nothing more relaxing than when we had four minutes left.

And you shot Bettis come Trot nod, You know, they were going to be suffocated, you know.

Loved that I need that.

You know, a lot than anything?

The defense.

He goes coach.

It's about time to ride the bus.

I go, yeah, it's almost.

We're almost there.

Bring him out of the garage and let's grind them down and watch you drain.

And it was beautiful because they know what we're going to do.

We know what we're going to do.

And you couldn't stop it anyway.

And that was a gift.

But when I'm in the Jets game.

Right, I'm getting to do the terrible towel.

Right.

So I'm standing there.

I don't it's probably like 13 degrees at night.

I don't know what.

It's freezing.

And I got a trench coat on with my Lambert jersey underneath.

And my buddy, I got my buddy from Smithfield because John Waterrick and Jim Rooney, they were nice enough to let me and my hoodlum friends down on the sideline while I'm doing this.

Right.

So I and they're jagging me.

They're going, listen, the linemen don't have any long sleeves on.

You can't do the terrible towel twirl.

What a coat on.

And now I'm like getting that swish felt like, yeah, you're right.

I got to take my coat off.

Get that thing off, man.

I take the coat off.

Now I'm bare armed.

It's 13 degrees.

I go out, I do the towel, I scream, my voice is gone and about 12 seconds so that after we win that game, it's just one of those Steeler games where you just need to go to the air to relax after it's over.

And we have so many of them.

So the next morning I fly back to California and I'm getting sick on the flight, right.

So then I go over to the studio and I'm about to we're going to start rehearsing for Mike and Molly and I'm trying to fake it.

I got 102 fever.

My voice sounds like this, but I'm acting like nothing's wrong at the tableread.

Right?

So we get halfway through the table read and Chuck Laurie stands up.

Begins.

Okay, everybody, Billy's obviously sick.

So we're going to cancel this week's episode.

We're going to push it to one of the, one of the weeks.

And we had a down week, and we'll reshuffle the deck.

And I thought, oh my God, I'm in so much trouble.

I canceled this whole thing because I was at the Steelers.

And and Chuck Laurie walked over, patted me on the shoulder and he goes, no more playoff games.

Okay, I say gotcha.

I went home, made some chicken soup.

Exactly.

So.

But it's an honor, man.

I just I love you to death.

I can't thank you for the kindness over the years.

I can't thank you for the inspiration.

You are a true Pittsburgh.

Are you are you are you are.

You are a high watermark, man.

You're a high watermark.

You're very kind of say that, but just truthful.

You you also are a such an inspiration just for everything you went through.

Chasing your dream, chasing your passion.

Not to be deterred along the way.

Dealing with all the things that can go with that, the tough at times and and just taken it head on.

And so what now what.

Brother.

So what now what.

So what now what.

I tell you what your father sounds like a definitely sounds like a Pittsburgher through and 100.

And you are the absolute best.

Love you, man, back at your brother.

I love you too.

Thank you for your time on this.

I appreciate you.

Thank you brother.

Thank you.

I know it's early in the morning.

It’s time to go to work.

How many people get to have one of their heroes send them a personal message to inspire them?

And, I'm humbled by it.

And I'm honored.

And I'm so grateful that that I know Bill and that, his warmth comes through and it's so authentic.

And this meant the world to me.

It got me moving.

And you know what?

If you feel like you can't do it, don't be a jagoff.

Don't be a jagoff, okay?

Do it, I, brother, I love you.

Sounds so strange.

All right, coach talking to me.

Yeah.

So, look, I got slippy, gumband, spigot.

I got them all on, I got I got them all on there.

Don't be a jagoff.

Don't be a jagoff.

Right there.