Nick & Ed, Unsung Heroes

I wanted to take a few moments to write about two men who have stepped it up for Hardway HQ over the past several months for us. Two guys who have brought something completely different to HQ and have completely refreshed the site and the brand. Two guys who I always knew had it in them the entire time.

“Sick” Nick Reigota and Ed Scanlon are those two.

For Nick, this has been a long time coming. Nick is an incredible intellectual who has a unique knowledge for all forms of entertainment. In particular, Nick’s vast love of music is second to none. On our podcast Nick and Jon: “Live” in New Jersey, we have always dedicated an episode to his favorite songs at the end of each calendar year. It has not just showcased Nick’s eclectic taste in tunes, but has also opened my eyes to what else was out there, other than Top 40 radio.

So when Nick came to me at the beginning of this pandemic with a vision of a side-project podcast, I was intrigued. Seeing it formulate over a few week span, Sick Nick’s Music Picks was born officially on May 16, 2020, and it has become one of my favorite listens almost immediately. There might be a bias on my end, but Nick really has shined in his hosting duties and has instituted a great format for his show.

I’ve never been more proud.

For Ed, this has been a long time coming. Years ago, right as Twitch started to pick up steam, Ed came to me with an idea of doing gaming for Hardway HQ. Sadly, with the initial discussions coming during the HQ hiatus in 2018, the vision simply sat dormant. When HQ became reborn in March 2019, and things started coming back into fruition, Ed again came to me with the idea. I, being clueless with video games and the idea of streaming, went back to Ed and told him to explore and take a step into bringing it together.

A few weeks ago, Hardway HQ Gaming was born on Twitch. Ed purchased a capture card, made some other buys, and has run with it. The ideas Ed has to push the idea forward is nothing short of fantastic. Almost instantly, I have enjoyed watching the videos Ed has live-streamed thus far. HQ Gaming, over the next several weeks, will be testing and bringing out new concepts that will, in my opinion, open up the realm of game streaming and simply make it more fun for everyone watching.

I’ve never been more proud.

I’ve always known that Ed Scanlon and Nick Reigota were incredibly talented individuals. Both of these guys needed that one thing to push them to the next level. Hardway HQ Gaming and Sick Nick’s Music Picks is helping rejuvenate Hardway HQ and continuing the alternative culture I’ve always dreamed of with the “brand”. Lame buzzword aside, we are moving towards some uncharted and exciting territory. These two men deserve the credit.

Thanks Ed. Thanks Nick.

Jon Harder

Jon@HardwayHQ.com