Shiny Hardware: PWHL Trophy and Jonathan

Next to mascots, trophies are one of my favorite objects. Today, I feature two relatively new trophies and an old friend.

The Women's Professional Hockey League has existed for two seasons and the Minnesota Frost won both championships. Those are the two trophies behind my pal Jonathan. The PWHL started with four teams, but now has eight. There are four teams each in Canada and the United States. I am hoping for an expansion to Chicago. 

As for Cimags, he's been around a lot longer than the PWHL, although I only met him about 10 years ago at a Chicago Bandits game. He is an avid sports fan and autograph collector. He probably has more than 1,000 signatures, obviously many being of women sports stars, such as the Bandits and Frost. While I a, not a grapher, like Cimags, I would have liked to meet the Frost players and again, hope to eventually meet Chicago players.

Go to TheWPHL.com for more info on the league. The season started in November and runs through April 25, 2026.

For more on Cimags, check the Cimags YouTube channel. He has fun videos about graphing, Pokemon and other pop culture stuff.

Cimags and the PWHL trophies in Minneapolis, MN-October 2025.

Shiny Hardware: Chicago Bears Title Belt and Missa Kate

Ordinarily, I do not need anything else in a picture with Missa Kate, but when I last saw her with her cool Chicago Bears belt, I made an exception. Leave it to Missa to bring it up a level.

Missa is one of my favorite wrestlers (and people) on the wrestling scene. She is equally good as a babyface or heel, although I prefer her as a heel. She is just so quick-witted, relying on smarts, instead of cheap heat. Her in-ring skills are just as good. She has the best spin kick I have ever seen. Outside the ring, she is one of the sweetest folks out there. At all of her matches, she always manages to give Tony and me a wink or other such nod during the match.

At SSW's Suplex the Stigma, an event to raise awareness for suicide, Missa was there repping the You are More crew. Although they have shut down, they did great work promoting positivity. At the event, Missa had a Chicago Bears belt. After the show, I got a picture with her as usual. I had to ask for the belt to be included, because it was such a beautiful belt. "Chicago's Favorite Sweetheart" proved again why she is the best.

Missa Kate and me in Kenosha, WI-September 2025.

Shiny Hardware: LFL Legends Cup

I featured the Legends Football League Legends Cup a while back, but this is a special picture. I had to go all the way to Los Angeles, California to get this picture on the field with the Legends Football League Legends Cup. What a trip it was though.

Jack and I flew out to LA and hung with the Chicago Bliss prior to the game. How often do you get to be on a pro field, let alone before a championship game? We watched the game from the press box and from the end zone. It was an amazing experience.

I took a picture with the Legends Cup prior to the game, but everyone knew the Bliss would win it. After the game, it was pandemonium.

I will always appreciate Coach Keith Hac, his tsaff, all the players and Jack for this great season. It's always a thrill to cover a championship season. 

The LFL title Cup in Los Angeles, CA-September 2017.

Shiny Hardware: Holidead and the Resistance Women's title

Holidead made her wrestling debut in 2013. She appeared at Resistance Pro Wrestling in the post-Billy Corgan era. With her face paint, eerie character and wrestling ability, Holidead presented a total package to fans, including me. I really liked Holidead. 

I was happy when she won the RPro Women's championship. Holidead held the RPro Women's title for 223 days. She defeated Rachael Ellering to win the belt and lost it to Roni Nicole.

With RPro on an extended hiatus, Holidead has remained active on the wrestling scene. In 2019, Pro Wrestling Illustrated had her as #19 on the 2019 PWI Top 100 Females.

Unfortunately, I never got an interview with Holidead, but at least I got a picture of her with the big, shiny RPro title belt. Maybe one day I will get that interview, but either way, I'll be following her career.

Holidead and the Resistance Women's title belt in Summit, IL-September 2017.

Shiny Hardware: The World Series Trophy

This trophy is extremely special and very rare. It was the first World Series trophy for the Chicago Cubs in my lifetime and first one for the team since 1908.

During my lifetime, the Cubs had only made a few playoff appearances. There was a lot of mediocirty and worse. Then the new regime of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer took over the team and things started to change. In 2016, it all came toegther as the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series.

Unfortunately, much like the 1985 Bears, these Cubs only won one title. We thought there would be more, but at least they got one.

In 2018, while seeing Billy Joel at Wrigley Field, I finally got to see the trophy that eluded the Cubs for all these years. I soaked in the moment, because I know it might never happen again in my lifetime.

The World Series trophy in Chicago, IL-September 2018.

Shiny Hardware: Chicago Bulls Six Trophies

Championships don't happen often in Chicago. In fact, in my life, the Blackhawks have won three, while the Bears, White, Sox and Cubs have only won one each. The Bulls are the big winner with six titles.

With the emergence of Michael Jordan, the Bulls won six titles within an eight season stretch. Actually, MJ sat out most of the two seasons in the middle. Some say (and I am one of them) the Bulls would have won eight straight.

While covering an NBA Alumni Association event at the United Center, I had the opportunity to get a picture with the six beauties. How many chances could I get to get six trophies at one time?

Chicago Bulls trophies and me in Chicago, IL-December 2022.

Shiny Hardware: Marathon Medal and Tommy Else with RPro Tag Team Title

Today is a double feature edition of Shiny Hardware. I feature two trophies, both of which were well-earned.

Tommy Else went from attending an open audition for the debuting Resistance Pro Wrestling to being a tag team champ (with Brady Pierce) as Body Magic. Tommy had a bit of a rough road, as sort of an "outsider" in the lockerroom, because of how he got his start. He quickly earned respect for his hard-working nature. He also happened to become one of the most popular wrestlers at RPro (if not THE most popular wrestler).

I predicted a midcard title for Tommy in 2014 or 2015. My prediction was close, as he became a tag team champ. I still maintain, if things didn't go awry at RPro, he would have eventually won the Heavyweight title and that would have been well-deserved.

My trophy is a finisher's medal from the 2014 Chicago Marathon. Having finished 23 prior Marathons, I hadn't run one in several years. When my niece Sam declared she was running in the 2014 Marathon, I had to join her. Although I didn't run with her, because she was much faster than me, it was a thrill sharing the experience with her. It remains one of my favorite Matahons.

Whatever happened to these two guys after RPro ended? We remain friends and co-host The Johngy OR Else Podcast. Tommy went on to win the Southside Occupational Academy title, a belt he has held for 2+ years. I came back and ran another Marathon in 2018, my 25th and last (probably).

I know Tommy is very proud of his titles and well he should be. I am also proud of my Marathon medals. We are two unlikely guys to win these trophies, yet there we are.

 Tommy Else and me in Summit, IL-November 2014.

Shiny Hardware: National Pro Fastpitch Cowles Cup

The Chicago Bandits won the National Pro Fastpitch Cowles Cup championship in 2015. It was my second full year of covering the team.

Pitcher Sara Moulton starred at the University of Minnesota before joining the Bandits. Speedy outfielder Sammy Marshall excelled at Western Illinois University. Both were key parts of the championship run.

What started as me looking for a one-time fun event to cover turned into six awesome years of fun covering the Bandits. Over the years, I did more than 150 interviews with the Bandits and opponents. Those interviews can be found at the Chicago Bandits playlist on the Johngy's Beat YouTube channel.

Unfortunately, the league didn't play in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid. In early 2022, the league announced it was shutting down. This was disappointing, but not terribly shocking.

I still follow many of the former Bandits. Sara owns and operates a pitching facility in Minnesota. Sammy has done some coaching over the years.

It was a great six seasons and I made many friends from that time. I also got to cover two championships, including the one represented below.

Sara Moulton, Sammy Marshall and the Cowles Cup in Rosemont, IL-August 2016.

Shiny Hardware: What Not at New York Comic Con 2021

The New York Comic Con starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday. At NYCC a few years back, I held the WhatNot title belt.

What is WhatNot? To be honest, at the time, I had no idea. As I was meandering the convention floor checking out exhibits, the fine folks at the WhatNot booth asked if I wanted to take a picture with their title belt. Why not? I'm always up for holding a title belt, even f it isn't for a wrestling company.

I learned WhatNot is a social marketplace. From sports trading cards to clothing and all else, WhatNot has millions of offerings. What any of that has to do with a title belt, I don't know. They probably just jumped on the belt craze. For a while, many companies made belts for celebratory moments. WhatNot made one for NYCC.

It worked, too. I saw a lot of folks getting their pictures with the title belt. Here I am writing about it. That's a good marketing tactic. I salute WhatNot.

We'll see what other fun is at NYCC tomorrow. Check NewYorkComicCon.com for updates and scheduling on NYCC.

WhatNot title belt and me in New York, NY-October 2021.

Shiny Hardware: Legends Football Cup

As I have well-documented here over the years, I have covered and been a big fan of the Legends Football League Chicago Bliss for years. Perhaps the high point was going to Los Angeles, California in 2014 to watch them win the Legends Cup.

The following year, I went to the open tryout for the next season. There was the shiny Legends Cup, in all of its glory. Of course, I had to get a picture with this beautiful thing.

Obviously, I had nothing to do with actually winning the Legends Cup, but I will say I was the most consistent and visible media member over the years. In other words, they couldn't get rid of me. Actually, the Bliss organization was very hospitable to me over the years. They players and coaches gave a lot of fun interviews (and many other fun chats not recorded).

All of my interviews with the Bliss over the years can be found on my Johngy's Beat Chicago Bliss YouTube playlist.

The Legends Football League Cup in Bridgeview, IL-January 2015.