Wednesday, July 3, 2013

On the Beat with Resistance Pro at Kicks For A Cure

Last Saturday, I had a great time at Kicks For A Cure.  The highlights include Resistance Pro teaming with the New Jersey Grabowskis on the kickball diamond, the event raising over $300,000 and everyone having a lot of fun.  You can read my whole recap at On the Beat with the NJ Grabowskis and Resistance Pro at Kicks For A Cure on the Skokie Patch news site.
This was another example of the amazing experiences I have had and the quality people I have met (and befriended) since I started covering R Pro.  Eric St. Vaughn agreed to help me cover the event and ended up doing double duty as he also played, joining C Red and Barry Ryte.  Gabe, Jacques and Haley Baron were there bright and early to support their guys.
Forget Cosell and Meredith, Caray and Piersall, Foley and Tallon.  Those broadcasting tandems have nothing on Jacques and Gabe.  I was lucky enough to be standing with them as they provided informal play-by-play of the first game.
The R Pro wrestlers were good sports, too.  They had fun in and out of the game, despite their (mostly) lack of productivity.  They even raucously supported me during my one unexpected inning of play, especially when I got a hit and eventually scored.  Will I ever let them live that one down?  Highly unlikely!
Even (or maybe especially) during down time, I had a lot of fun with these guys.  I observed as C Red told some wrestling stories, as ESV picked C Red's wrestling brain a bit and as Barry, C Red and ESV just hung out.  I really shouldn't have said "observed," because I was a participant in all of it.  Not once did they make this non-wrestler feel like an outsider.  In fact, as always, it was quite the opposite.  They are very inclusive.
Below is my official video recap of my day at Kicks For A Cure.  A year ago, I would have left it at that.  Now though, I feel very much a part of the R Pro family and like a good family we poke and jab at each other.  You have to know there are video outtakes and I own all of the video footage.  There will be some stuff put up soon.
If you missed Kicks For A Cure, you can catch the R Pro guys at Stick It To Ya on July 26, in Willowbrook, IL.  I am quite sure you will enjoy C Red, ESV, Barry Ryte and the rest of the R Pro roster as much as I do.
I would like to publicly thank Greg and Chris Olsen, the Receptions for Research Foundation, Kicks For A Cure, Julie Hamm, Jon Heselica and the New Jersey Grabowskis, Resistance Pro and all else involved in this great event.  I also want to thank R Pro once again for making me feel a part of the R Pro family.

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