About this episode
In an emotional unveiling, Jeff Mans discusses for the first time publicly the story of his Father who grew up as an Illinois Farmer, went to war for his country, battled depression, alcoholism and cancer in what became a most inspiring life story. It’s a story of family, a story of courage and a story of life. If you want to understand Mans, hear the true story of what inspires him. Jeff’s old man is his hero, but it took a long time for him to be that way. Jeff was the youngest of five children and everybody hated his dad. Jeff’s dad was an alcoholic, had no relationship with his wife, and was abusive to Jeff’s disabled brother. His dad was a Korean War vet, but he turned a corner when he had cancer in 1991 and he repaired the relationship he had with his wife, his kids, and his siblings. For that, Jeff is very grateful for being able to see the man he truly was. Key Takeaways: [3:10] Despite being in quarantine, Jeff is still working full time. [5:20] You guys have been asking Jeff a lot about his youth. [5:45] What motivates Jeff? His old man. [8:55] Jeff has been finding creative ways to spend time with the family without leaving the house. [10:25] Go get the Strat-O-Matic board game today. [12:30] A little bit of back story about Jeff’s dad. [15:00] Jeff’s old man and his siblings grew up so poor that they didn’t even celebrate Christmas or birthdays (and neither did Jeff). [16:55] His dad served in the Korean war and he had some gruesome stories to share with Jeff. [20:00] It was obvious Jeff was a mistake. Jeff’s youngest sister is 13 years older than him. [23:00] His old man’s alcoholism was so bad and he was abusive when Jeff was growing up. [24:00] Jeff’s dad is still his hero. [28:30] Jeff was becoming a bad kid before his older brother moved his family away from all of that. Crime gangs were recruiting kids as young as 11 years old. [29:25] Jeff had no relationship with his dad. [34:25] Everything changed in 1991 when his dad got diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. [38:55] It changed the man completely. He became Jeff’s best friend. [43:05] The whole family was bonding again and his dad was able to tell happier memories of his childhood. [43:15] Then the cancer came back. [46:55] His dad always told him to pursue a career or a job that made him happy. Do something you want to do, not because you have to. [50:40] His dad became an alcoholic because he never could give his parents and his family a good life. [55:15] Jeff's dad died on November 4th, 1999. [1:00:30] When he passed, there was a line trying to get into the funeral home. [1:03:10] We all die, but our legacy will live on. [1:07:20] Jeff still writes letters to his dad. [1:10:55] Whatever is happening in your life, you’re better than it and you will fight through it. Resource: Elitefantasy.com Fantasyguru.com Elitesportsbetting.com Promo code: Radio20. Jeff on Twitter Strat-o-matic.com Quotes: “Every one of us battled from a crap show to make something of our lives and we’re still going today. That’s why I don’t have a lot of compassion for excuses.” “If you go through something, sure, feel bad, but keep going. Do something about it!” “The box of drywall screws is bigger than any trophy or anything I have in my life.”