Last year, John-Paul “JP”  Flaim of The Sports Junkies announced his new book Still Barking on the show this morning over at 106.7 The Fan. The book tells the story of how The Sports Junkies came together over 25 years ago along with all of the memorable experiences the crew has had since then. JP, a MoCo resident, is having an appearance at Burton’s in The Kentlands on Wednesday, December 7th between 5pm and 7pm, where he’ll chat with local sports fans and have 10 copies of his book for sale for anyone interested.

“For the past year, I have worked on the story of four childhood friends chasing a dream with heart, humor and soul. Though it dives into radio and our career, the overarching theme is one of brotherhood and friendship. I wish my Mom could have seen the final product but alas she is not here, but without her spirit, I couldn’t have worked as hard as I did to complete this project.” Flaim said about his book.


Kalaii Griffin II is a 2013 graduate of Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda where he was a two sport letter winner in football and wrestling. He went on to the University of Texas at El Paso, where he played Division I football and earned his B.A. in Communications. Now Griffin is the founder and CEO of ShredSkinz, the world’s first and only single use & recyclable sauna suit, and his company made an appearance on Shark Tank earlier this week (spoilers below). ‘

Kalaii explained that he created his ShredSkinz sauna suits in a way that is convenient for those using them. He has added elastic to the bottom and the wrist area and a draw string on the hood to allow those working out in a ShredSkinz suit to maximize how much they sweat. He goes on to clarify that this is not marketed as a way to lose weight, but rather as a convenient way to maximize workouts by increasing the amount of weight, ideal for cutting weight for a fight, etc. Griffin mentions his success on TIkTok, primarily due to videos of ShredSkinz users showing their sweat fall out of the suit.


Student Latin Dance groups from 15 high schools participated—Bethesda-Chevy Chase, James Hubert Blake, Clarksburg, Damascus, Albert Einstein, Gaithersburg, Northwest, Northwood, Quince Orchard, Rockville, Seneca Valley, Sherwood, Springbrook, Watkins Mill and Wheaton. A video highlighting the event can be seen below. The Best In Show groups for the two divisions are listed below:

Junior Division (schools competing four years or less) Best in Show:


Earlier this month, more than 12,000 second grade students enjoyed performances by the National Philharmonic Orchestra at the Music Center at Strathmore. This program gives students exposure to the world of classical music in a concert hall setting, inspiring a love and appreciation of music and the arts at a young age. Before attending, second graders learned about the instrument families of the orchestra and how the instruments work together in a concert setting. Video below:


Sylvester Stallone is one of the first people mentioned when talking celebrities with MoCo ties. Though he was born in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, his parents (Frank and Jackie Stallone) moved to the area in early 50s to open a beauty school. While living there, Sylvester spent some of his attended Woodlin Elementary School, Montgomery Hills Junior High, and was enrolled at Blair High School. Now, at age 76, Stallone is starring in his first ever television series Tulsa King.

The story of Tulsa King revolves around a former New York mafia boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi, played by Stallone. Manfredi is locked up for 25 years, obeys the code of silence/not ratting on your friends, and expects to be well compensated upon his release. Instead, he is sent down to Tulsa, where he’s tasked with “getting things started” for the mafia family.


Local singer Pete Looney, who has been providing entertainment across the county and DC Metro Area for years, has passed away according to a post on his Facebook page. His children, Pat and Monika, released the following statement announcing a Celebration of Life that will take place on Sunday, December 11th (now in a new location).

The Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, December 11th from 6-9pm at Brookeville Beer Farm (20315 A Georgia Ave. Brookeville, MD 20833). Light bites and some wine will be provided. The event organizers ask anyone who is planning to attend to mark “going” on the Facebook event page so that they can plan accordingly.


Dozens of MCPS high school student dancers took the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore on Nov. 21 to represent their schools at the 22nd annual MCPS Latin Dance Competition. The event was organized by the After School Dance Fund, whose mission is to build strong Latin dance clubs in MCPS and to support the academic and social-emotional success of students.

“The annual MCPS Latin dance competition has been taking place at the Music Center at Strathmore since 2010 and is the culmination of Montgomery County’s elite high school Latin dance program which started back in 1999 at Seneca Valley High School. The main objective is to strengthen the social emotional well being of our students and promote health, exercise, and unity through Latin dance education. Students compete in the Junior and Senior categories showcasing their choreographies in Duets/Partner: Salsa, Chacha, Merengue, Bachata, Jack and Jill, Parent/Student, and Best in Show (Group).”


At one point Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, ate pizza every day for two years while getting his “One Bite” pizza reviews started on Instagram and YouTube. Through the years, he has eaten pizza from various restaurants across the country– providing a 1-10 rating for each slice. While most of his reviews come from pizza places in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, he recently tried a New York City Ledo Pizza location (video below).

“It’s good…you’d have to put it in a chain if it has over 100 locations, it’s pretty good for that type of pizza.” Portnoy said of the “Maryland style pizza”, referencing the amount of stores Ledo Pizza has grown to in recent years. He gave it a 6.7, which puts it towards the middle of the pack of the over 1,000 pizza places he has reviewed so far.


The Atlanta Falcons are coming to town to try to slow down the surging Washington Commanders, who have won five of their last six games. Head Coach Arthur Smith is a graduate of Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda), Arnold Ebitekie is a graduate of Einstein High School, and defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo (practice squad) is a graduate of Bullis in Potomac.

Arthur Smith played a big role in the development of Derrick Henry as one of the best running backs in the NFL, turning the Titans offense around, and helping the team make the playoffs in consecutive years before earning the head coaching job in Atlanta. Smith, who graduated from Georgetown Prep in 2001, guided the Little Hoyas to an undefeated season and an IAC championship as a senior. He was inducted into the Georgetown Prep Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, just two years before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the Titans. Smith started his NFL coaching career when he was named the defensive quality control coach for  Washington back in 2007. You may have also heard of his father’s company. Arthur Smith’s father, Frederick W. Smith, is the founder, chairman, president, and CEO of FedEx.


Sebastian Salazar joined ESPN in late 2016 as a host, reporter and play-by-play announcer. Salazar appears regularly on ESPNFC as well as the network’s Major League Soccer coverage. Currently, the Bethesda native is covering the World Cup at ESPN.

About Sebastian Salazar: In the summer of 2018, Salazar covered the Mexican national team at the FIFA World Cup, appearing on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio from Russia. Since joining the network, Salazar also has covered the International Champions Cup, the USWNT and the Little League World Series. He also regularly contributes to the ESPN podcasts TwoOnTri, Max & Herc and ESPNFC.


Bethesda based clothing line Collars & Co. was featured on the November 11 episode of Shark Tank on ABC.  Many may have seen the clothing company’s signature item, the “Dress Collar Polo”, a buttery soft polo with a standard English spread collar that is said to be more comfortable than a normal collared shirt. Collar & Co went on Shark Tank seeking $300K for 4% equity at a $7.5 Million valuation from the sharks. Continue reading if you want to know how it went.

According to its website, Collars & Co.’s mission is to “provide men and women with extremely high quality clothing that not only looks great, but feels amazing as well.” The business sells shirts, sweaters, underwear, and accessories. Bethesda resident Justin Baer presented his product, asking for $300K for a 4% equity (valuation of $7.5M). The business launched in 2021 and went viral on TikTok, leading to 500 orders off the bat and $40K in revenue the first month after the video’s release.


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