Friend Encounters: Ken Sanders and Dennis

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Former Major League pitcher Ken Sanders was one of the first baseball cards I remember. As the years passed, it always seemed he was on a different team, mostly because he was. From1972-77 on Topps cards, he was with the Brewers, Phillies, Indians, Angels, Mets and Royals. He never actually pitched for the Phillies and he never got a card with the Twins for whom he did pitch during those years. After debuting in 1964, he spent parts of three seasons each with the Kansas City/Oakland A's and the Brewers, with a quick stop with the Red Sox.

My buddy Dennis is not that well-traveled, but he gets around to a lot of meet-and-greets, usually featuring Wisconsin players. That's where the Sanders picture originated. I have seen Dennis meet a lot of former players with better resumes, but I really appreciate this one. I love seeing older less-known players get some spotlight.

Dennis and Ken Sanders in Milwaukee, WI-May 2025.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #769 Patricia Kara & Missa Kate

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series on which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing kerseys. Today I feature two of my favorite Chicago area ladies.

Patricia Kara rose to fame holding briefcase #9 on tv's Deal or No Deal. I have had the pleasure of interviewing Patricia a few times and she is always a fun guest. She wrote one book, Dream On...Now Deliver and is going to be releasing another one soon. That should mean another interview. Patricia had some fun with Johnstown Tomahawks mascot Chopper to earn her Celebrity Jersey Card. She previously appeared on a CJC wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey. I say Chicago teams need to bring her in for something. I want to see Patricia in a Chicago jersey.

I have written many times about "Chicago's Favorite Sweetheart" Missa Kate. Equally excellent as a good or bad guy in the wrestling ring, Missa has the best circle kick I have seen on the independent (or any) wrestling scene. She also happens to be be one of the nicest and most engaging wrestlers you will ever meet. Missa threw out the first pitch for the Chicago Cubs to get her celebrity Jersey Card. Of course, it was a strike!

Cards That Never Were: Jim Sims Topps 1977

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Jim Sims played football at Los Angeles Harbor College and the University of Southern California before being selected by the New York Giants in the 12th round in the 1974 NFL draft. He opted to play in the World Football League for two seasons. I don't know how he came to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he appeared in two games, starting one, in the 1976 season.

Of course, Topps did not give Sims a card. Still, I firmly believe all players deserve a card. I love finding pictures for players like Sims. The picture is from the game he started, a 31-14 loss to te New England Patriots. I couldn't find defense stats, but it appears he tackled running back Don Calhoun. 

Catching Up with Tiffany

Earlier this year, I interviewed entertainer Tiffany on Talking Travel for Global Traveler. She discussed her career, her upcoming cookbook and her latest ventures. She also talked about appearing with Sheena Easton in Des Plaines near me. Of course, I had to be there.

The night started with a meet-and-greet upstairs in the theater. This was not the usual quick picture and move on. Tiffany sat down and talked to the group of about 20. It lasted about 30 minutes. We left happy and went to our seats ready for the show.

Tiffany opened for Sheena and both were great. Sheena was accompanied by Brandon Nix, a pleasant surprise with his amazing voice. It's funny, because prior to the show, I was more into Tiffany, while Tony favored Sheena. After the show, we each raved about both of them. We thought it would be a fun night of nostalgic music, but these women sounded better now than back in the day. Their voices were fuller and richer.

My full recap is at Tiffany and Sheena Easton at Des Plaines Theatre on Global Traveler. For more on these great singers, go to tiffanytunes.com and sheenaeaston.com and look for Brandon on social media.

Tiffany and me in Des Plaines, IL-October 2025.

On the Beat with Kelly Slaughter (Slaughter Daughter)

To millions of fans, Sgt. Slaughter was a hero in the wrestling world and the G.I. Joe universe. To Kelly Slaughter, he was simply dad.

My occasional interview partner Joey Roth and I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly earlier this week. My full recap is on the Chicago Patch at Talking with Kelly Slaughter.

Celebrities get the spotlight, but rarely do we get to see an insider's view. Kelly provided that and more. Kelly had to share her dad with his fans, but he always made her feel special with cards, notes, calls and more.

In her adult life, Kelly went on a fitness journey, losing more than 140 pounds in just a few years. She continues to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which is one of the reasons she is doing well in the Fab Over 40 contest. Kelly is definitely fab and neither Joey nor I thought she was over 40.

It was a real pleasure talking to Kelly. She is such a positive person. We thank her for her time and consideration, as well as letting share her dad for all these years.

To watch our interview, go to On the Beat with Kelly Slaughter. Always check back here for fun interviews and other pop culture bits.

 

Remembering Jason David Frank

Jason David Frank died three years ago today. Perhaps best known for his work on Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, JDF was highly skilled in martial arts. He even developed his own form of karate. Tragically, he committed suicide at a young age.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him at a press session for Wizard World (now Fan Expo). He was generous with his time, thoughtful with his answers and generally a great guy. That interview is at On the Beat with Jason David Frank. He was even kind enough to do a promo for this site, which is in the left column.

Showing more class, when I ran into him at the actual convention, he greeted me happily and thanked me for a good interview. That was unexpected, but much appreciated. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the Power Rangers, I am glad I got to meet him and to have a couple extra nice encounters with him.

Jason David Frank and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2014.

Talking Travel with Valerie Joy Wilson

Who better to interview for travel than a "trusted travel girl?" I didn't get just any trusted travel girl. I got THE Trusted Travel Girl, Valerie Joy Wilson.

Wilson's passion for travel and adventure started early, but was derailed a bit with a diagnosis of Lyme Disease. That was only a delay though. Wilson was determined to live her life traveling. Thus Trusted Travel Girl was born.

One of Wilson's best qualities is her openness to ideas of others. Although she considers herself a travel expert (and rightly so), she admits she doesn't know everything and is always learning, even from amateur travelers. While Wilson's platform was focused on solo women's travel, it has expanded a bit naturally to include men. Her platform was so popular and useful, men started following her.

The interview is at Talking Travel with Valerie Joy Wilson on Global Traveler. It is also on the GT YouTube channel and I would greatly appreciate anyone subscribing to that channel. It's free and you won't get bothered by emails etc.

Friend Encounters: Tony Schiavone and Ty

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today is another bittersweet picture. It features a departed friend meeting one of his favorites.

Ty was a buddy I met through conventions. Always smiling, he was a pleasure to see. I always enjoyed our short catchups. Ty died earlier this year. I am choosing to continue featuring him as my way of keeping his memory alive. I know he was a big fan at conventions and approved of my earlier posts whie he was alive. I think he would approve of these as well.

Last year, Ty traveled to Iowa for a Hall of Fame event. He went All Elite Wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone. A longtime broadcaster, Schiavone is a true legend in the sport. Like him or not, nobody can deny his impressive resume. Like Ty, I am a fan of Schiavone's work.

Ty has a lot more celebrity encounters and I will feature him here on occasion to remind myself of my old pal. RIP Ty.

Ty and Tony Schiavone in Waterloo, IA-June 2024.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #768 Kaley Cuoco & Woody Harrelson

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series on which I make virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, I turn my attention to football.

A native of California, Kaley Cuoco rose to stardom as a teenager on tv's 8 Simple Steps and followed that with The Big Bang Theory. For her Celebrity Jersey Card, Cuoco posed with her partner and thei child. Cuoco sported #30, probably worn most notably by former running back Dave Meggett, while her partner wore #26, most recently well-worn by Saquon Barkley. Their little one did not wear a jersey, although that would have been a really cool triple CJC.

A native of Texas, Woody Harrelson gained big fame on tv's Cheers, before embarking on a successful movie career. Harrelson overcame a convicted killer father and a poor upbringing. Harrelson is a fan of chess, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals, but it was a Minnesota Vikings jersey that landed him on a Celebrity Jersey Card. 

Cards That Never Were: Johnny Musso Topps 1976

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets. It is a concept I borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

I previously created Cards That Never Were for former Chicago Bears running back Johnny Musso, but I did not create one for Topps 1976. I couldn't find any decent pictures. I think I finally found one.

After starring at the University of Alabama, Musso was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1972 NFL draft. He chose to play for the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League instead. After three seasons there, he played one season with the Birmingham Stallions of the World Football League, before finally joining the Bears. He saw action in seasons from 1975-77 and was on the injured list for all of 1978. 

I created the 1976 cards and then decided to also do one for 1979, which would be his Career-Capper." Even though he didn't play in 1978, he was still with the Bears.