In Episode 11 of Season 5 Mike introduces the listeners to a first time guest to the podcast, “Positive” Greg Shuraleff, to talk through Michigan football’s first true test of the 2023 season: the Penn State Nittany Lions. The guys talk Beaver Stadium architecture, awkward Air Bnb’s, (Bill) Pickles and a weekend in State College, PA they’ll never forget.

Follow the podcast on Twitter/X: @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E11 featuring Mike’s Wolverine buddy Greg Shuraleff.

2:00: Next up is the traditional corrections segment, where Mike corrects the driving time from Ann Arbor to East Lansing, an apology to Scottish listeners, and finally a miscalculation of the number of times Michigan football has played on NBC Saturday night football.

4:20: What’s going on with Mike D, which includes a 2nd annual Kalamazoo day trip via the train and live roller derby (shout out to Skinny Minnie).

7:20: Mike then sets the table for the dramatic weekend in Happy Valley that is the subject of this episode, including an encounter with the Michigan football team at the State College Regional Airport and a galvanizing rallying cry born from that moment.

9:45: Mike and the staff then play a smidge of a track that best exemplified the vibes of that weekend in State College vis a vis the Michigan football team.

14:00: Mike welcomes Greg Shuraleff into the virtual podcast studio.

15:40: Greg then tells his entire life story for the listeners and it’s quite the tale (including how he was NOT originally a Michigan fan as a kid and a transfer averted).

18:00: The guys then trace the origins of their friendship in Chicago and a mutual love of the State of Michigan sports and then discuss the last time they saw each other in person (which was in Pasadena, CA).

23:30: Greg tells the listeners who his longest running friend is and why that friendship has remained so strong (and how it started when we had to switch schools as a kid).

26:50: The guys then talk about their thoughts on the state of Michigan football coming into the season and this critical Penn State game.

31:15: Next up the guys talk about the Friday night and Saturday morning in State College leading up to the game itself, including the challenges of actually getting there and finding lodging close to campus, posting up at the legendary Bill Pickles Tap Room, an awkward AirBnB, Greg’s pre-game ritual at road games, an Uber situation that almost ended a friendship, and finding a Michigan-friendly tailgate very close to Beaver Stadium.

44:45: Mike and Greg then break down the epic highs and lows (mostly highs) of Michigan’s win over Penn State, including the architectural “charm” of Beaver Stadium.

59:00: The guys start wrapping things up by talking about Interim Coach Sherrone Moore’s legendary post-game interview, the team’s celebration and how they capped off their trip in Happy Valley.

1:03:00: Greg then caps the episode by talking about what Michigan football means to him.

In Episode 10 of Season 5 Mike welcomes Eric Wobser, the pride of both Michigan law and city of Sandusky, OH to talk all things regional and local development focused as well as the Michigan v Purdue football game from the 2023 Season.

Follow the podcast on Twitter/X: @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E10 featuring Mike’s legal and regional development-focused sports buddy Eric Wobser.

2:05: Mike then corrects some major mistakes from past episodes, including an embarrassing omission from Season 5 Episode 7 (the Bob Stinchcombe/Minnesota game episode) related to the movie Spaceballs.

4:20: Next up is the classic “What’s Going on with Mike D” segment which includes some soccer (both in Detroit and Germany) and a new mystery novel (or at least new to him) from Canadian author Louise Penny.

6:00: Mike then pays tribute to the city he most associates with Eric in the form of both fun facts and song: Cleveland, OH.

14:00: Mike welcomes Eric Wobser onto the podcast where Mike gives Eric the opportunity to tell his entire life story and Eric accepts (and shares how an Ohio boy ended up at law school at the University of Michigan).

19:00: The guys then talk about meeting at Michigan Law School on an iconic Ann Arbor patio known formally as Wonderful Times Charles.

22:00: Eric breaks down his love of the sport of wrestling (real and “real”) and how the cities of Cleveland and Detroit are kindred spirits

27:00: Eric then talks about how his son has made Mike his role model in life (only behind Eric).

28:30: The guys then lay out the plan for the rest of the episode, starting with Eric talking about his longest running friend in his life and how he thinks about friends as “layers on a tree”.

31:00: Eric shares where he was with Michigan football coming into this season, including what it’s been like as a Michigan fan living in Ohio.

32:30: Mike and Eric set the table for this Michigan/Purdue game, including the outbreak of the Sign-Gate “scandal” (aka a big nothingburger), including the tailgate.

37:00: The guys then go through the many highs (and very few lows from a Michigan perspective) of this game.

44:30: Eric shares what it is that motivates him to stay connected to the Michigan football program.

In Episode 9 of Season 5 Mike welcomes Mike “Fulk” Fulkerson, MTE (master tailgate extraordinaire) to talk about how he became one of the top tailgaters in all of Michigan Wolverine nation and then break down the Michigan v Michigan State football game from the 2023 Season in all of its rivalry glory.

Follow the pdcast on Twitter/X: @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to S5E9 featuring Mike’s tailgating role model Mike “Fulk” Fulkerson.

2:00: Mike quotes the late, great Jerry Orbach and admits some embarrassing mistakes, including a mistake within a mistake related to S5E5 (The Rutgers episode featuring Fletcher Walters) and S5E8’s (the Indiana episode featuring the Bibbys) failure to reference the greatest TV-based romance in Canadian history.

5:10: Mike then breaks down what’s been going on with him, including a trip up to Traverse City for a Pure Michigan weekend with Ann Arbor Mug Club and prepping to play possibly the biggest pub quiz game of his life, along with his strategies for a successful pub quiz night.

12:00: Mike finishes off the opening segment with a tribute to the Michigan/Michigan State rivalry and extends a musical olive branch to his Spartan friends and listeners.

17:20: Mike welcomes Mike Fulkerson into the podcast studio.

18:20: Mike Fulkerson then tells his entire life story and the story of the Plymouth Canton/Salem/Plymouth High Schools, which is a multi-campus adventure for the students who come through there.

21:10: Next up the guys talk about the last time they saw each other in person at the famed Houston NRG Wyndham for a new infamous “lobby tailgate”.

24:20: Fulk talks about who his longest running friend is and how that friendship has lasted all of these years.

28:15: Mike D then asks Fulk about how his legendary Michigan football tailgates have evolved over the years at Ann Arbor Golf and Outing (as great tailgates do).

36:30: The guys then talk about how they first met…..at a Michigan tailgate in Bloomington, IN and then again in Lincoln, NE.

41:00: A prank gets played on Mike D by Fulk and their friends “Fun” Ron and Strikeout and Mike doesn’t get mad at all.

44:00: Fulk talks about his thoughts about the 2023 Michigan football team coming into the season and how the season had gone so far in his mind.

47:00: The guys then touch on the emergence of the Conor Stalions backstory for Michigan football.

49:20: How tailgating at Michigan State differs from tailgating at Michigan and an audio picture of the Michigan/Michigan State game as told by Mike and Mike.

1:03:30: Mike F then talks about whether this game changed his opinion of Michigan’s chances the rest of the season as well as why Michigan football has remained a priority for him in his life.