Cosplay with Kelsey Raegan at Nightmare Weekend

Kelsey Raegan made her wrestling debut in 2019. Trained by D-Von Dudley and Gangrel, Raegan started a bit late, as she was in her late 20s. She has quickly learned the business and has won several titles, including the SHINE championship once.

When Raegan appeared at Nightmare Weekend, she was in full cosplay mode. She was also one of the most popular wrestlers there. 

It was my first year covering Nightmare Weekend from Galaxy Con, but it won't be my last. It was a smaller con, but packed with a lot of great guests and event. A full card of wrestling in cosplay was one of the real highlights on Saturday.

The wrestling was a chance to see a lot of talent wrestlers in costume, outside of their usual gear. Many wrestled a different style, one to conform more with their ring gear. It amounted to a fun night, and the wrestling was not sacrificed for the gimmicks.

For more info on this event, go to galaxcycon.com. Also, follow Raegan on social media for more fun. 

Kelsey Raegan and me in Rosemont, IL-May 2025.

Will Perdue at Bulls Fest

Will Perdue is a very underrated former NBA player. Perdue won four NBA championships.

After being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round in the 1988 draft, Perdue played 8 seasons in Chicago, winning 3 titles with the team. Although he was mostly a backup center, Perdue averaged 4.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Those aren't huge numbers, but considering his role, they were slid.

He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he plaued four seasons, winning another title. One more season with the Bulls and a last one with the Portland Trailblazers would round out his career. Since retiring, Perdue has stayed active, doing broadcasting work for various outlets.

I met Perdue at Bulls Fest 2025. I was the first person to meet him that day and he talked about my shirt (from The National, a huge sports convention). He talked about being there, meeting fans. Although I was there, I missed him. Anyway, the crowd handler scolded me saying I needed to move on. Then Perdue told him he was talking to me and I wasn't lingering. Score one for Johngy and thank you Mr. Perdue.

Will Perdue and me in Chicago, IL-August 2025.

Are You Going to Call Ernie Hudson?

Actor Ernie Hudson was 72 when I met him in Indianapolis in 2018. He looked and sounded fantastic.

Hudson has built a great career in movies and television.

Although his career started even earlier, I remembered him from The Main Event, starring Barbra Streisand. Of course, one of his most famous roles was in Ghostbusters. As you can see from his shirt, he embraces that role and fans still love that movie of 40+ years ago.

Hudson was in great spirits at the comic con. He gladly came around his booth to take a picture with Cuzz and me. Then he chatted with us for several minutes. On the business side, I give him high marks for having a nice selection of 8x10s. While many folks wanted pictures from Ghostbusters, there were plenty fans who wanted ones from his other projects, like Roots, Oz and more.

 Cuzz, Ernie Hudson and me in Indianapolis, IN-March 2018.

Finally Met Jordan Lynch

 Jordan Lynch graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1996. He went on to star at Northern Illinois University, where he was a Heisman trophy finalist. He went undrafted by the nFL, but played a couple seasons in the Canadian Football League after a trout with the Chicago Bears.

After a season as a coach at NIU, Lynch became head coach at MC, succeeding the legendary Frank Lenti. Since then, he led the Caravan to five IHSA Football Championships.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lynch. That interview is at On the Beat with Jordan Lynch.

Earlier this year, I finally met Lynch. After introducing myself, I thanked Lynch. He was very appreciative and engaging. He also appreciated my sweatshirt.

For more info on Lynch, go to MCHS.org. Check back here for more coverage of the Caravan.

Jordan Lynch and me in Bridgeview, IL-January 2026.

Friend Encounters: Cecil Cooper and Dennis

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today I feature my Wisconsin friend Dennis. Fortunately for me, he is pictured with a Milwaukee Brewers legend whom I already met. That's a bit of a rarity, because Dennis meets a lot of folks I would love to meet. Of course it helps that he lives in Wisconsin where a lot of Brewers and Green Bay Packers do conventions.

Cecil Cooper was a very underrated first baseman who started with the Boston Red Sox, but really became a star with the Brewers. He eventually became a coach and managed the Houston Astros for a few seasons. I met him in Houston, although I was on official press duty and unable to get a picture with him.

Some day, Dennis and I must join forces for a celebrity picture. Perhaps someone like Bill Sharp, who split his career between the Brewers and White Sox, would be a great choice. If anything like that happens, I'll report it here. Until then, I'll feature other pictures from Dennis.

Dennis and Cecil Cooper in Milwaukee, WI-May 2025.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #783 Ginette Reno & Kaylee Williams

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys.

Canadian singer, songwriter and actress Ginette Reno is a gold and platinum selling musician.  A singer in both French and English, Reno was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1982. Shortly after recovering from heart surgery in 2014, Reno sang the anthems for the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs. She has since returned multiple times. Those appearances landed her on a Celebrity Jersey Card.

Chicago native Kaylee Williams rose to fame as a scream queen, although she is not limited to just horror movies. I had the pleasure of interviewing Kaylee back in 2011. That interview is at On the Beat With Kaylee Williams. Kaylee earned her Celebrity Jersey Card by repping the Chicago Wolves American Hockey League team.

Laynie Luck Appearing at Squared Circle Expo VI

The wrestlers lineup at Squared Circle Expo just keeps getting better. Independent wrestler Laynie Luck was recently announced.

I first saw Laynie a few years back. I quickly realized she is an excellent wrestler. She married fellow wrestler GPA. They have wrestled in mixed matches and separately. Both are extremely nice outside of the ring, too.

After making her pro debut in late 2015, Laynie has wrestled for several companies, including Impact. She has won several titles and has appeared on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 250 Female Wrestlers list four times.

SCX VI features more than 75 wrestlers appearing for meet-and-greets, along with vendors, panels, Q&As, photo ops and much more. There will also be two full nights of wrestling. Matches haven't been announced yet, but I would think Laynie would be in one of the matches. I hope GPA is also there.

Go to squaredcirclex.com for more info. Check back here for my updates.

Laynie Luck and me in Northbrook, IL-December 2023.

Talking Travel with Michele Lindsay

When I go on trips with my friends, I usually do most of the planning. I'm okay with that, but if I wasn't, I would use someone like Michele Lindsay.

The founder of Blue Pointe Travel, Lindsay is a travel advisor. Although she specializes in luxury trips and cruises, she can help with any trip. I had to start by askin what makes someone an expert. She responded with the steps she took to achieve that status. It's not a false claim.

Then I had to give her a short quiz about the current state of cruises, the changes over the years and upcoming trends. Lindsay easily passed my pop quiz with plenty of info to back up her answers. There's no question Lindsay knows her stuff.

My full interview with Lindsay is at Talking Travel with Michele Lindsay on Global Traveler. Once you've watched it (or even if you don't), please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube channel. Every subscription helps.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Today I celebrate the birthday of my youngest niece. Who knows where Sam is today, but wherever she is, I am sure she is celebrating with her friends or husband.

Last November, I had the pleasure of joining Sam and family and friends in Cancun for her wedding. I could not be happier for Sam. She deserves every bit of happiness in life.

She is tough, funny, smart and oh so adventurous. I love following her adventures online. I admire her spirit. She's always out there and living life. I am so proud of all she has done and all she is. 

She could be halfway around the world, but wherever she is today, I wish her a happy birthday! I love you Sam, don't ever change.

Dan, Sam and me in Cancun, Mexico-November 2025.

Talking Travel with Raymont Harris

My latest Talking Travel interview for Global Traveler is with former NFL running back Raymont Harris. The Ultraback just published a book and was happy to discuss it and a little travel.

Raymont's book, Control the Controllables, was especially of interest to me. It's a philosophy I try to use whenever I face a tough situation, like running a Marathon. If you take care of the things you can control, the rest is a bit easier and you have more time and brain power to handle all else. Of course, that is my simplistic interpretation. Raymont's book is much more in depth and informative.

This was a fun interview, because Raymonth was a popular member of the Chicago Bears for four seasons. The interview came together quickly and it was a pleasure working with Raymont.

I'm not just plugging the book because of the interview. It really is a good book. There are  life lessons mixed with his stories. Raymont's life wasn't always easy, but he shares all of it, including his mindset.

The interview is at Talking Travel with Raymont Harris. Also, do me a favor and subscribe to the GT YouTube channel.