Haley Reinhart at Arcada Speakeasy

If ever there was a performer perfectly suited for the Arcada Speakeasy, it is Haley Reinhart. A self-admitted old soul of music, Haley just fits the mood and vibe of the place.

Arcada Speakeasy is a throwback to those places of yesteryear. Complete with a password (Zoot Suit Riot) and secret doorway, everything about this place is a throwback.

I am not a concert guy, but I will always go to see Haley when she is around the Chicago area. This was my tenth time seeing her, trailing only 12 for Billy Joel. I have turned on several friends to Haley, including Tony, then his wife JoAnne, who I joined at the latest show.

One constant about Haley is her family. Their bond is evident on and off stage. On stage, father Harry often joins Haley for a few songs, while mom Patti sometimes will also sing a number or two.

Go to HaleyReinhart.com for more info on Haley. Also, check ClubArcada.com for info on this great venue.

Haley Reinhart and me in St. Charles, IL-September 2025.

On the Beat with Scott Romer

At the Squared Circle Expo VI, I had the opportunity to interview ace photographer Scott Romer about his book, When It Was: My Life on Both Sides of the Camera. That interview is at On the Beat with Scott Romer.

Scott Romer has photographed thousands of wrestlers and wrestling moments. In his book, he shares many of these pictures, along with stories from his incredible and lengthy career. There are also stories from friends and colleagues. If you're a wrestling fan or just want to read about an interesting life, this is a book for you. It's on my book shelf and it should be on yours.

It is available on Amazon and other retail outlets. Even better, you can email Scott (he gives this info at the end of the interview) to get a signed copy.

Tony, Scott Romer and me in Indianapolis, IN-March 2026.

Meeting the Wienermobile

How have I never seen the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile prior to last month? It was created in 1936 by Oscar Mayer's nephew Carl, but somehow I have never seen it in person.

In a classic example of changing things for the sake of change, it was renamed the Frankmobile in 2023, but popular demand caused the company to revert back to calling it the Wienermobile. Why mess with something successful?

When it appeared at The Storefront in Skokie, I was first on the scene as always. I got my picture quickly, before hundreds of folks lined up for it.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and me in Skokie, IL-February 2026.

Johngy at The Golf Show?

I know it sounds funny. Me at a golf show? I usually display my disdain or at least ambivalence towards golf.

I am always up for a new event and it worked well for Global Traveler. I recapped the experience for GT at the creatively titled The Golf Show.

The Golf Show is a huge convention featuring lessons, putting and long-drive contests, vendors and more. ESPN Radio did a live broadcast. And there you have it.

A live broadcast? You know I would be all over that and I was. I was happy to join ESPNs Aidan O'Connor and Tyler Aki at the booth for several minutes. They were really nice folks and you know I always find the celebrities. lol

Thank you to The Golf Show and ESPN Radio for the hospitality. I am always open for an on-air shift if I am needed, even if it is for golf.

Aidan O'Connor, Tyler Aki and me in Rosemont, IL-February 2026.

Friend Encounters: B Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell and Ty

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

I was just in Indianapolis at the Squared Circle Expo VI. My convention pal Ty should have been here. Sadly, Ty passed away a couple years ago, but his spirit was there.

Ty was a big wrestling fan. He traveled to the Wrestling Hall of Fame for its ceremonies. That is where he met the Killer Bees, B Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell. Those two wrestling legends were at SCX VI. I couldn't help but think of Ty and figured it was the perfect time to celebrate my deceased friend again.

The Killer Bees did not stay in the WWF for a really long period, yet they remain favorites to fans. Brunzell had a successful time in the AWA as half of the High Flyers tag team with Greg Gagne before he jumped to the WWF. In total, the Bees were active toegher for about ten years.

SCX is a huge wrestling convention. In its sixth year, it featured 85+ wrestling legends and stars and a lot of events during the two days. Ty loved it.

As convention season heats up, I think of my fallen friends like Ty and Glenn. I miss seeing them, but I always think of them at ever convention.

B Brian Blair, Jim Brunzell and Ty in Waterloo, Iowa-July 2024.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #790 Festus Ezeli & Juan Toscano

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, I continue my season-long alphabetical journey through all Major League Baseball teams.

Nigeria native Ifeanyi Festus Ezeli-Ndulue starred at Vanderbilt before the Golden State Warriors selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career, limiting him to just 170 games over three seasons before he had to retire. He gained his American citizenship in 2019. He also gained a Celebrity Jersey Card by tossing a ceremonial pitch for the Oakland A's.

A native of Oakland, California, Juan Toscano-Anderson starred at Marquette, but went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. He has carved out a long professional career, including three seasons with the Golden State Warriors among his five NBA seasons. He is still active overseas. Toscano tossed a ceremonial pitch to land on his Celebrity Jersey Card.

Cards That Never Were: Dick Sharon 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 to many folks to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Outfielder Dick Sharon was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1968 amateur draft. After the 1972 season, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He mad his MLB in 1973 and played one more season with the Tigers before being traded to the San Diego Padres. He played one season with the Padres, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, California Angels and Boston Red Sox all within five months. One more season in the with e minors would be it for Sharon. All told, he played 242 games in parts of three seasons, hitting .218 with 13 HRs, 46 RBIs and 47 runs scored.

For his effort, Topps gave Sharon cards in their 1974 and '75 sets, leaving out his career capper in 1976. I found a picture and started to make one, when I looked and found out Gio of When Topps Had (Base)Balls beat me to it again. There was no point in me trying to duplicate his effort. Intead, I just highlight his great work. His site has thousands of his creations and is just incredible.

Player Turned Coach Michelle Gascoigne

The player turned coach of the day is Michelle Gascoigne. A star pitcher at the University of Oklahoma, Gascoigne is currently the pitching coach with Northwestern University.

Michelle had an outstanding career at Oklahoma. She was 49-7 record with a 1.65 ERA and 507 strikeouts in 378.0 innings pitched. She held opponents to a measly .189 batting average.

Upon leaving Oklahoma, Michelle played professional softball with the National Pro Fastpitch Chicago Bandits in 2013. An All-NPF selection in 2013 and 2014, Michelle helped lead the Bandits to two Cowles Cup titles in 2015 and 2016.

Starting her coaching journey while still playing pro ball, Michelle was a grad assistant at Oklahoma in 2014 and 2015. Michelle joined the Northwestern staff in 2016 and has been there since. He husband Tony Smith is also on the staff.

I get to see Michelle and the Wildcats several times every season. While they usually play in Evanston, about 15 minutes away, this season, they will play in Rosemont, just a bit farther in the other direction. Still, I will see the team several times as usual.

Like the others I have featured in this series, Michelle has always been great to me. I have interviewed her several times, but even in simple chats around the stadium, she is always gracious and great to see. The same can be said for Coach Tony, too!

For more info on Coach Michelle and the Wildcats, go to nusports.com. This concludes my player turned coach series...for now.

Michele Gascoigne and me in Evanston, IL-Spring 2017.

Player Turned Coach Alisa Goler

Next in my series of players I knew who are now coaches is Alisa Goler. A star player at Georgia and in the pros, Alisa is now Head Coach at Western Illinois University.

A three-time All-American at Georgia, Goler set school single-season records for batting average (.455), slugging percentage (.994), on-base percentage (.551), home runs (24), extra-base hits (41), RBI (83), and total bases (164). Her Georgia teams also had Kristyn Sandberg and Megan Wiggins. All three would later play together for the National Pro Fastpitch Chicago Bandits.

Goler was drafted by the Bandits in 2011 and was Rookie of the Year. She played seven years of pro softball and twice earned All-NPF Team honors.

Her coaching career began as hitting instructor at Roosevelt University in 2014. After stints at Syracuse and Penn State, Goler was named the fourth Head Coach for WIU after the 2020 season.

I don't get to see many WIU games, as it is about four hours away, but I usually see Coach Goler at the Dome Tourney in Rosemont to start the season. Such was the case in 2021, when masks were still required because of the pandemic.

For more info on Coach Goler and the WIU team, go to goleathernecks.com. Check here for a few more player turned coach pieces..  

Alisa Goler and me in Rosemont, IL-February 2021. 

Celebrity Jersey Cards #789 Fritz Coleman & Fred Roggin

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, on MLB Opening Day, I start my season-long alphabetical journey through all Major League Baseball teams.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fritz Coleman spent almost 40 years at KNBC in Los Angeles. A weatherman, disc jockey, comedian and more, he was a staple in the Los Angeles media. He originally left the east coast to be a standup comic in Los Angeles. His career was no joke however. It landed him on a Celebrity Jersey Card. For more info, check fritzcolemancomedy.com.  

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Fred Roggin had newscasting stints in a few cities, before settling in Los Angeles in 1980. He stayed in L.A. through January 2023. He continues to do radio and television in his Palm Springs home area. In 1993 he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He also landed on a Celebrity Jersey Card. I assume the number four jersey he's wearing is for one of his stations, but it was most notably worn by former outfielder Jimmy Piersall and former second baseman Bobby Grich.