BRY-GUY: SELFIE KING TURNED CAFE MARTIN PITCHMAN

When it comes to selfies, Bryan Brennan is without equal. In a social media world polluted
with self-portraits, Brennan has managed to produce thousands of pictures of pure hilarity.
He can turn a frown into a smile with a simple picture and a post.

However, the Selfie King is proving that he's not a one-trick pony. The all-world photographer/
videographer who helped take NESN to a different level has morphed into a great pitchman.
Once obsessed with selfies, Brennan has devoted the last month calling on his friends, family
members and total strangers to purchase Café Martin baseball hats.

The baseball hats were produced to help promote the hottest spot in Boston and raise money
for John Martin, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. Brennan and Martin worked together
at NESN where they formed a special and unbreakable bond. Brennan and Martin, along with
Pat Gamere, weren't just videographers, they were amazing storytellers who helped the talent
and network look good - damn good.

Brennan has taken to social media to promote the Café Martin baseball hat with more passion
and determination than the Kardashians do in promoting their talentless selves. He reached
out to those he knows and even the thousands he doesn't. He is posting creative shots of the
Café Martin hat all over Boston - mostly at Fenway Park.  Brennan has encouraged, pleaded,
and all but begged people to buy the Café Martin baseball hat.

I'm sure many out there had thoughts of blocking or defriending Brennan on all their social
media vehicles, but the drive and determination of Brennan has paid off. As of this writing,
the Café Martin campaign has sold 210 hats and raised more than $4,000 for Martin's battle
with ALS. It was all possible because of Brennan's drive, commitment and love for Martin
and his family

Brennan, Martin, and Gamere were the three amigos at NESN - their dedication, commitment,
and passion for the jobs and network was off-the-charts. They are the best at what they do.
However, their talent is only surpassed by their friendship. They are as thick as thieves, forming
a friendship that can't be accurately measured or described. It's a beautiful thing to see.

Brennan's salesmanship is also pretty damn special. In a world of self-promoters, Brennan
has expended a great amount of time and energy promoting a great cause and the franchise
that is Café Martin.

Thank you, Bry-Guy, you're a helluva man.

Bill Titus, the Godfather of cameramen in Boston has also been a big help in promoting the
Café Martin hats. We had to make a special order to get a hat that fit Bill's dome and he loves
it. Bill has been in John's corner from day one and has to done a lot to make sure everybody
knows about Café Martin and what a great man John is.

Oh, yeah, Bryan and Bill wanted me to pass along the link so y'all can buy some more hats
to help out John Martin in his battle vs. ALS

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/jpm-legend?ref

WHITNEY GRUMMON: A BRIGHT LIGHT GONE FAR TOO SOON

Only the good die young.

                       

                                             -Billy Joel

Whitney Grummon was too sweet, too pretty, and just too damn good. Oh, sure, Whitney

had a bit of a wild side and was a free-spirit who spoke her mind, but she was a bright
light to all those who knew her during her days at New Canaan High School.

Unfortunately, she has left us far too soon. Whitney passed away recently after a brief battle 

with melanoma.

She was just 53-years-old. 

I met Whitney shortly after moving to New Canaan as a sophomore and we were both

part of the Class of 1982. She was a natural beauty with the high-cheekbones of a cover

girl and near perfect teeth that ignited her mega-watt smile. Whitney never called me by
my first name. It was just "Hey, Devlin," which always gave me a chuckle. Every
guy wanted Whitney to be their prom date. Every girl wanted her to be their best friend.

She was smart, funny, and someone who made a lasting impression on all the people she

came across. I never saw or heard much about Whitney after graduation. She had gone off
to the University of Colorado and that was pretty much all I knew until I ran into
her sister, Wilder, in Atlanta several years ago.

When I asked about Whitney, she told me our former classmate was out west teaching
English in high school. And teach she did.

Since 2010, Whitney was at Carmel High School in Aptos, California. She was the Chair
of the English department and the girls soccer coach, as well.

"I was drawn to the teaching profession because I wanted to help other people find their voice
and to articulate what they feel is important, " Whitney told Jaydon Zimmerman of The
Carmel Sandpiper during an interview in 2014.

Whitney was named Mentor of the Year as well as Teacher of the Year at Carmel High
School. She had an impact on nearly every one she came across.

"She takes everyone under her wing and treats everyone with the same kind-hearted
compassion and understanding," Olivia Doskey Mulvaney, a former student and a member
of the girls soccer team said about Whitney in 2014. "She's not only a mentor or teacher or
coach to her kids, she's a mother who cares about all aspects of their lives and wants to
help them grow and learn."

Whitney, right, and sister, Wilder.

Whitney's death has shaken Carmel High School as well as the entire New Canaan community.

Whitney LeGard Williams wrote in a Facebook post to Whitney's mother, Margot:

I moved to New Canaan in 10th grade and having the name Whitney had always been
a burden to me. No one knew what my name was. I had never met another until NCHS.
Your Whitney was so kind to me when others were not. I'll always remember her warm
smile and beautiful spirit. She was a good person and I think that while the rest of us
lost a bright light, heaven gained a good soul.

Steve Tonra, a good friend and classmate of Whitney remembers her as "smart, funny, fun,
beautiful -no drama and no BS."

Whitney was a beautiful person who touched so many lives. She was like a comet shooting
through the sky. Spectacular, but gone too soon. Everyone who saw and met her, will
never forget Whitney Grummon.

Good-bye, Whitney, you will be missed.

IN SEARCH OF 'EL GUAPO'

After the Hall of Fame ballots were tallied and the results were announced, I had a conversation
with a friend about the class that will be ushered into Cooperstown later this summer. My friend
is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan and a real baseball junkie.

"Clemens should've gotten in, same for Schilling," my friend screamed through the phone. As if
I was surprised. He thinks Oil Can Boyd should be immortalized in the Hall of Fame, too.

I responded, "Any election that doesn't include El Guapo has to be rigged."

A big, hearty laugh blitzed its way through the cell phone and pierced my ear. "I loved
El Guapo! He was a great guy," my friend said. "I wonder whatever happened to him."

El Guapo is Rich Garces, who pitched for the Red Sox from 1995 - 2002. He was a cross
between Bartolo Colon and Pablo Sandoval: all belly. I covered Garces and the Red Sox on
my first tour of duty in Boston and  El Guapo was the sunshine on a team of prickly assholes.
He was a lovable guy who always had time to say hello - to everybody.

The media guide listed El Guapo, (the handsome one) at 215, which was off by about 35
pounds. He always had a smile on his face as he meandered his way through a clubhouse filled
with players who acted as if they'd rather be anyplace other than Fenway Park.

El Guapo could pitch a little bit, too. He morphed into one of the American League's premier
set-up men, posting a 5-1 record with and 1.55 earned run average in 1999. The following year,
the handsome one had a record of 8-1  with a 3.25 ERA. General Manager Dan Duquette, a
card-carrying member of the physique police, urged El Guapo to lose weight. He did and
was never the same.

El Guapo, who is a still a folk hero in Boston to this day, was done with the Red Sox in 2002, his
velocity disappearing along with his excess weight. However El Guapo found a home in 2007 pitching for the Nashua Pride, an independent team in New Hampshire.

El Guapo was such a draw for the Pride, they scheduled a bobblehead night for him. Well,
it wasn't exactly a bobblehead. The anatomy was a little off. It was a bobblebelly in honor of
El Guapo's boiler.

How awesome is that?

Two days after my conversation with a friend about El Guapo, I walked into a baseball facility
in Fairfield, Connecticut for a feature I was producing. The owner of the top-tier baseball
program said, "We have a great staff here. There's Willie Upshaw, he played for the Blue Jays,
and you remember Rich Garces, don't you?

I said to myself, "You have to be sh*%ting me! It's El Guapo!"

There he was in all his glory. El Guapo is still a handsome devil after all these years. He
didn't look much different from the guy I watched and covered at Fenway Park in the late
90's. He had that same geniune smile along with the same body type and was very approachable.

I was a minor-league player in the Red Sox organization and had covered El Guapo in Boston.
We talked and shared a few belly laughs. It was one of the moments in life, that you find
yourself saying, "Damn, what are the chances of that?"

He still had the bobble-belly, too, but that's OK. After all, he is El Guapo - a true character of the game.

WHY I DO THE IRONMAN

2.4 mile swim. 112 mile bike. 26.2 mile run. In one day. That's the Ironman.

People often ask me why, as a 50-something, semi-good former athlete, I would put myself
through all that torture just to complete the race. I don't have a single answer for that. I have
many of them.

It's not a bucket list item. As somebody who is on the back nine of life, I can think of many
other fun things to do with the $750 entry fee than grind my way through close to 13 hours
of non-stop action to complete a 140-mile race.

For me, doing the Ironman is an annual celebration of life. It's another opportunity for me to
be thankful that I'm still healthy enough, at my age, to swim, bike, and run.

I don't have anything to prove. I squeezed out every ounce of energy and talent out of myself
in trying to be a success in baseball. I got a scholarship to UNC and played in the Boston Red Sox organization and don't have any regrets. It was a phase in my life that I enjoyed but it has long
been over.

Father Time is catching up to me, but doing the Ironman let's him know that running me down,
no matter how slow I may be, won't be all that easy.

People often want to tell me that doing the Ironman "can't be good for the body." Neither is alcohol,
junk food, and staying out all night. I'd rather break down because of over-exercising than over-
indulging in the poisonous things you put in the body.

I don't do the Ironman for the fancy medal awarded upon completion. I usually give the
hardware to my niece or nephew before it has a chance to be draped around my neck.

I do the Ironman to compete against the clock and challenge myself. As far as I'm concerned,
there is nobody else on the course, despite getting clubbed by elbows, arms, and feet during
the 2.4 mile swim.

I compete in the Ironman because I love swimming in open water. There are few things as
exhilarating as navigating your way through a course filled with 2,000 other competitors. You
can't see what's below you and the sight of mountains, trees, and the sunrise can be pretty
spectacular.

I do the Ironman because the energy and vibe of the event is truly incredible. It provides
an adrenaline rush that can last for weeks, as it did when I completed my first Ironman
in Lake Placid at the age of 50.

I love the Ironman because I get an up close and personal look at the human will and spirit
of others. I enjoy hearing their stories, where they are from, and why they do the Ironman. I
really believe anyone can do the Ironman. After all, most of us can run, bike, and swim. The
will to complete it is definitely the key.

I enjoy the mind games that come with completing the event. It truly is an oddesey for the

mind, which often tells you to quit and go home for good. I tried to quit forever after
completing my second Ironman in 2016.

Almost as soon as I crossed the finish line, I made a b-line to the pizza tent and finished
off an entire pie and then some. I announced my retirement to no one in particular and
didn't work out a single time for the next seven months.

But the Ironman sucked me back in. I couldn't do without it. Oh, it's not an addiction,
trust me. I'm not obsessive about it and have never followed a routine, hired a coach, or
watched every little thing that goes into my body. If I felt like doing a 100-mile bike, I
would do it. If I had a 10-mile run in me, I'd bust it, too. I've alway trained by 'feel' and made
sure not to overtrain or abuse my body.

I signed up with the Ironman in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec just under four months before
the race. I completed it for my fourth career Ironman.

This June, I'll travel to Boulder, Colorado for my fifth Ironman.  Can't wait. The Ironman
doesn't consume me, but it is very much a part of me. And I love it.

CAFE MARTIN: THE HOTTEST SPOT IN BOSTON

Boston already has a place to go where everybody knows your name, now it
has a spot to visit if you want to bring some cheer to a special person in the city.

Café Martin opened over the summer and has become a destination place for friends
of John Martin, a videographer at NESN, who was diagnosed with ALS last October.

"It has been a big boost for me and my family," Martin said from his home in Newton.
"I had been seeing a lot of people for lunch, but when I started slowing down, we just
started encouraging people to stop by."

And they've stopped by in droves to Café Martin. Or I should say, Café Martin at Piazza Adonis.

"One of my best friends was over and we had already coined the 'Cafe Martin' phrase for
the patio - and that tipped a hat to John's French background," said John's wife, Adrienne.
"And not wanting to be left out, I wanted a tip a hat to my Italian background, so my friend
decided  it was a cafe at a 'piazza' which means square in Italian. My nickname in high school
was 'Adonis'.  So, she coined the entire phrase 'Café Martin at Piazza Adonis' which is silly and
fun, much like us."


Thus, one of the hottest spots in Boston was born.

Athletes, celebrities, and friends of the Martin's have been visiting Café Martin at Piazza
Adonis, providing great comfort and a lot of laughs for JPM, as he is known to all his friends.

"It's been so fun and really meaningful that we are able to keep good energy flowing in our
home, in our lives and for John's spirits," she said.

The highlight of Café Martin so far was the appearance of former Red Sox great and hall of
famer, Pedro Martinez. Martinez dropped by Café Martin before pitching in Steve Buckley's
Old-Timers baseball game on August 17. Martin had covered Martinez during his spectacular
run with the Red Sox.

"Pedro was awesome," Martin said. "When he arrived, there were about 20 people chanting,
"Pedro! Pedro! Pedro! He was kissing and hugging everybody. It was really a great scene."

MLB Network followed Martinez on his trip to Café Martin and documented the beautiful
atmosphere and special friendship between Martin and Martinez.

Martin says he has a standing invitation to Bruins goalie Tukka Rask, whom he also
covered while working at NESN. "I texted him the other day. I'm hoping he shows up, too."

John's sister created the Café Martin sign that adorns his home. Longtime friend Bryan
Brennan produced the hashtag (#OnlyAtCafeMartin), and Facebook is now flooded with
pictures of all the friends who have visited Café Martin at Piazza Adonis.

"We are so lucky to have so many great people in our lives to help support us and keep

John being John," Adrienne said. "We wanted create a social atmosphere for him because
it is one of the things he loves best, being with people, hanging out, talking and having fun."

This is love. This is friendship. This is Café Martin at Piazza Adonis. It's a beautiful thing.

Be sure to stop by. It's more than worth it.

If you'd like to support Café Martin at Piazza Adonis and JPM, please buy a t-shirt. Be sure
to hit this link:

https://teespring.com/jpm-legend-edition#pid=11&cid=2488&sid=front

100 percent of the proceeds will go to the John Martin Fund.

CATCHING UP WITH JOHN MARTIN

11 years.

That may seem like a long time, but I found that once I turned 40-years-old, life seems to
morph into a frenetic sprint to finish what was started in the 1960's. A year goes by like a summer,
a month goes by like a week, and a week is over before a rooster can see the sun rise in the east.

Some days I feel like screaming, "Whoa, slow the heck down! What the heck is the rush?!"

It had been 11 years since I had seen John Martin. We were co-workers at NESN in Boston
and often paired together in that dream world of covering sports in the one of the greatest cities
on the planet.

We weren't best friends but we shared some amazing, if not hilarious, moments during our
assignments covering the New England Patriots. There were road trips to Pittsburgh, Denver,
Charlotte, and many other places along the way. John was a true professional as a videographer.
He didn't work by the clock or for the paycheck, but rather for the love of the job and the amount
of pride he took in it.

We never looked for the approval of  higher-ups at the station, but rather each other. We had
very high standards and knew when our product was damn good or just good. We sugarcoated
nothing and never looked for a pat on the back from others.

I'm not sure we ever said good-bye when I departed NESN in the late summer of 2006.
Perhaps, it was because there was an understanding that our paths would someday cross again
in the business. It happens more often than not in the world of sports television.

Except that it didn't.

There was the occasional text, tweet, or phone call out of nowhere. But other than that, Martin
may as well has been in Bangkok. I may as well have been in Anchorage. Our paths didn't come
close to intersecting. But we were still friends, through and through.

Over the course of those 11 years since we last saw each other, things changed. A lot. There
were new jobs and moves to new cities for me. And life changed in the blink of an eye for
Martin in the cruelest of ways.

Last October, Martin was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gerhig's disease.  He stepped away
from a career that he loved and one where he was universally respected. His life as he knew it,
was put on pause. Martin, with an amazing wife, Adrienne, and two beautiful girls, Kaia and
Gabby, have to battle a disease that has never lost.

Life is not fair. Anyone who has lived on this earth long enough knows bad things often
happen to the best of people. John Martin is the very best of people. And as I've often said
before, he's as solid in character as the 150-year-old oak tree that stands strong and proudly in the
middle of the forest.

Very few people escape the world without dealing with some form of hardship or tragedy. I
realize diseases don't discriminate, but this just didn't seem fair.

I planned on being in Boston during the weekend of August 4-6 and reached out to Martin
as I wanted to see my former co-worker whom I enjoyed so many great times with. It was
extremely important to me.

When my girlfriend, Kim, and I pulled up to his home in Newton, nothing at all really
seemed to change. There was John in his baseball hat and sunglasses with that trademark
mile-wide grin on his face. That was the JPM I knew.

We never embraced when we worked together. There was no time for any kind of man-love
on the job. We were too busy and besides, we weren't in to the Roger Goodell hug-a-draft
pick-kind of thing, anyway.

But that changed when I saw him. I gave him a long embrace hoping it would take away
just a little bit of the overwhelming pain that he's been dealing with it. We shared a lot of
stories and some good laughs over the next 90 minutes.

However, the effects of the wretched disease has started to take its toll. Martin said there
is weakness on the left side of his body. He now wears a brace to stabilize his left leg. JPM
can no longer stand for long periods of time. It is heartbreaking

The entire Boston sports and television community has rallied around JPM to make things
a little better for him and his family. Financial contributions continue to come in after his
diagnosis in October.

Several weeks ago, Steve Buckley, the longtime sportswriter for the Boston Herald and
founder of a long-running Old-Timers game, announced this year's event would benefit
Martin in his battle against ALS. It's a wonderful gesture by Buckley to honor and help
out a wonderful person in Martin.

John showed me the old-time uniform he'll be wearing on August 17, the date of the game.
It's a retro Los Angeles Angels uniform, which Martin requested since the Angels are
the name of the youth baseball team he has coached in Dorchester for the last 30 years.

Even better, Pedro Martinez, the baseball hall of famer and Red Sox great who will be
pitching in the game, has stated that he will pick up Martin at his home in Newton and
take him to the game.

How cool is that?

Martin deserves it. He is a great man who happens to be battling a terrible disease. The
game on August 17 may feature Pedro Martinez, but it will be all about John Martin. It's
his day to get the recognition he deserves. He earned it during his 19 years as a videographer
for NESN.

There aren't many people like John Martin.

I realized that when we worked together and it was reinforced as we embraced again
before I headed back to Connecticut . He is truly a special person.

There are moments when I wish time would just stand still so we can give the people we
love and care for all the help they need to get through difficult times. But I know life doesn't
work that way as it waits for no one.

I hope the great people of New England and beyond continue to help out Martin and his
family by providing some financial assistance to Martin. The tough times will only get tougher.

He needs our support.

He deserves our support.

Please contribute. A little goes a long way for Martin and his family.

https://www.gofundme.com/jmartinfund

MIKE VITI: TRUE WARRIOR AND AMERICAN HERO

15 seconds into my interview with Mike Viti, I knew it was going to be one of the best ones

I've ever conducted. Viti isn't a household name, doesn't have a multi-million dollar contract in

his back pocket or rank as the most followed person in the Twittersphere.

No, he's none of that. Mike Viti is a true warrior and American hero. There aren't many of those
in this "look at me and my selfie" world we live in.

Viti is a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan. He was a military captain and earned a
Bronze Star for his courage and character in the global war on terror. Viti was also a four-year
letterman and captain of the Army football team during his senior year.

As we sat down on the West Point campus, which wreaks of history, honor, and tradition, I
expected something really special and I got it. In preparation for the interview, I scoured articles
and videos to get a better understanding of Viti. I knew that a disciplined, everything-close-to-the-
vest veteran wasn't going to warm up quickly to some reporter he had never seen or even
talked to before this afternoon. I surmised he'd have little time for someone who was unprepared, either.

My television feature story on Viti included the symbiotic relationship between sports
and service and how they might parallel each other when it comes to discipline, teamwork, commitment, sacrifice, and doing things the right way.

I am intrigued and in awe of anyone who has fought for this country. I admire all
those who have the courage to leave so much behind at home to fight against faceless enemies
a world away. To me, they are all heroes. Forever.

Mike Viti, center, military captain

After we settled into our seats, our eyes locked on one another. I figured Viti would have no
interest in opening up to someone who had shifty-eyes and couldn't stay engaged. I was engaged.
This was a war hero. The adrenaline was flowing.

"What does it mean to you to have fought for and served your country?"  was the first question
I asked. There was a pause and his steely-eye stare could've bore a hole through my forehead.
This question was right in his wheelhouse. This is what he lived for. This is what he wanted to
tell the world about.

"It was the greatest experience and honor of my life," Viti said in a strong, deliberate tone.

I got chills and could see the goose bumps stand at attention on my forearms.

Viti talked about honor, courage, country, sacrifice, and commitment. He never looked down
and didn't blink for what seemed like 10 minutes. This was his life, his world, his reality. I
was fully engrossed.

After we talked about his military and football experience and the collision of the two worlds,
we moved onto a subject that was spectacular and close to unbelievable.

In 2014, Viti walked from Seattle to San Diego then across the country to Georgia and finished
up in Baltimore. He wanted to bring awareness not to himself, but rather Gold Star families and
the more than 6,000 people who lost their lives in the global war on terror since 9/11.

4,400 miles on foot.

During his journey, Viti met with 67 Gold Star families. He often stayed at their homes overnight
and listened to parents, brothers and sisters, and children who lost a hero in the war. When he
wasn't taken in by a Gold Star family, Viti camped out under the stars. He walked through
Yuma, Arizona where the temperature reached 120 degrees. And sorry, while it may be dry heat,
temperatures that high can kill a person.

Viti started the journey at 240 pounds which was close to his playing weight and finished the
cross-country walk weighing about 185 pounds. Viti told me he got on a scale once during
the 232 day event and cringed when it read, 188. 

"It made me feel weak," Viti said. "I haven't been on a scale since then," he said. Viti is a
chiseled 195-pounds or so today. He doesn't have an ounce of fat on him.

Viti ended his journey at the Army-Navy game in Baltimore that year. Today, he's back at
West Point coaching fullbacks, the position he played for Army. I asked him about his future
aspirations.

"I want to be a head coach. I want to be a leader of men," he said. 

What an honor to be in the presence of a former military captain and Bronze Star recipient.
That doesn't happen everyday and I was grateful for the opportunity to talk with and interview
someone who has given so much to this country.

Mike Viti is a true patriot, true warrior, and most of all, an American hero.