Happy Birthday, Matt!

Today is my nephew Matt's birthday. While he celebrates with his family, I toast him here.

We have had so much fun over the years, although we probably drove some relatives crazy with our antics. Although we don't see each other a lot these days, we still make each other laugh with silly texts or reminders of our fun.

Such was the case when I saw chicken crisps. Matt and I thought of this years ago. Why not? Everyone loves battered and friend chicken skin. Surely they would love a bag of skins as a snack. We didn't stop with just chicken though and that might have been our mistake. Cow skins just aren't as appealing.

Anyway, these silly things make great memories. I will always love the times we spent with our press passes (aka necklaces), wandering around various stadiums without a clue. Over the years, we also made several thousand dollar bets. I bet one us us is up at least $3.

Now Matt is a great family man, building new memories. Still, when we get together, we laugh hard at the stuff we have done.

I hope Matt enjoys his day. From here, I wish Big Money a great birthday!

Meeting Kenny McReynolds

One of the added benefits of covering events is unexpectedly meeting people I have followed for years. At the Chicago screening of My Father, Dick Allen, Kenny McReynolds was one of those people. 

McReynolds is a longtime staple on the Chicago media and sports scene. He has been a broadcaster, radio sports director, anchor, coach, scout and more. I have followed his career for more than 40 years. He was an assistant coach to DePaul's Ray Meyer when I went there.

My Father, Dick Allen, ultimately is a five part documentary about MLB Hall of Famer Dick Allen seen through the eyes of Richard Allen, Jr. The Chicago screening featured parts one and four (his early years and his Chicago White Sox years). It was brilliantly done and I look forward to seeing the entire film.

As the event started, McReynolds was announced as the emcee. My ears immediately perked and I set my sight on him for a later picture. McReynolds was humorous and informative as he led the crowd through the segments, including a panel discussion.

Upon the conclusion, I worked my way to him and asked for a picture. He was very gracious, despite being pulled in several directions for pictures, quotes ad interviews. I was not to be denied though.

Kenny McReynolds and me in Chicago, IL-June 2026.

Steven Weber at Flashback Weekend 2026

Flashback Weekend is always a special convention. I have been attending it since it debuted in 2002, but it took a few years for me to learn it was run by Mike and Mia Kerz, cousins of Cuzz Gekas. Now, it is like a mini-reunion every year.

This year, I was really excited about several of the guests, including actor Steven Weber. Because we were first into the convention, we were the first to meet Weber and we had a few extra minutes to chat.

Weber actually being there was a matter of luck. He happened to be in town filming Chicago Med, which made him available to attend.

Also known for his role on Wings, Weber was great. When I mentioned Wings,Weber put his hands to his heart and state that meant a lot to him to hear. We chatted a bit about Chicago before letting him get to the rest of the fans. (There is a fine line between a nice chat and a lingerer.)

It's guests like Weber that make Flashback great every ear. I might be biased, but as I wrote, I was a fan before I knew who ran it. It really is a well-run and organized convention and that all goes back to Mike and Mia.

Go to flashbackweekend.com for more info. Check back here for more recaps from Flashback.

Cuzz, Steven Weber and me in Rosemont, IL-Augsut 2026.

Friend Encounters: Tiffany and John

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Tiffany rose to fame as a teenage singer in the late 1980s. I jumped on the bandwagon and started following her career. By 2000, Tiffany-mania died down a bit, but I was still a fan. Her Color of Silence album is my favorite among her albums. She shed her teeny-bopper, bubble gum songs in favor of deeper songs, without losing any of her energy. I still rank that album as a great one, as I told her in my Talking Travel interview with her on Global Traveler.

My buddy John met Tiffany at a meet-and-greet at her performance at the Arcada Theater in St. Cahrles, Illinois. It is a beautiful intimate venue. Tiffany's meet-and-greet was one of the best. I know, because I was also there, otherwise I would have been quite envious.

I have met Tiffany a few times and she has been great every time, as were her shows. She is much more than an 80s nostalgia act.

John is a regular at the Arcada or its sister venues. He has met quite a few musicians I would have liked to meet. At least I matched him with Tiffany.

For more on Tiffany, go to tiffanymusic.com. John doesn't have a site, but with all of his music encounters, he would have plenty of material.

Tiffany and John in St. Charles, IL-October 2025.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #818: Rod Carew & Bruce Cassidy

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series featuring celebrities wearing sports jerseys. I am continuing my season-long alphabetical march through all MLB teams.

When I was growing up, Rod Carew was one of the elite hitters in baseball. Carew was born on a train in the Panama Canal Zone. His mother was in the back, as it was still racially-segregated. He was named after the doctor who came to her aid. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2016, needing heart transplant, he received the heart of former Baltimore Ravens player Konrad Reuland. Carew threw out a first pitch for the Boston Red Sox to earn his Celebrity Jersey Card. I don't believe Carew did any coaching for the Red Sox however.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Bruce Cassidy was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks. After parts of several seasons with the Blackhawks, Cassidy continued his playing career overseas. In 2002, he began his NHL coaching career with the Washington Capitals. He moved onto the Boston Bruins and later the las Vegas Golden Knights. In his first season guidng the Golden Knights, he led them to the Stanley Cup championship. Cassidy tossed a ceremonial pitch for the Red Sox to get his Celebrity Jersey Card.

Cards That Never Were: Randy Hundley Topps 1965-'66, '75 & '78

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series on which I create digital 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.

Randy Hundley signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent prior to the 1960 season. He made his MLB debut with the Giants  in 1964 with two games, followed by six games in 1965. After being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Hundley blossomed into an everyday catcher. After eight seasons with the Cubs, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins. He played one season for the Twins, before being released and signed by the San Diego Padres for the 1975 season. The Cubs purchased his contract prior to the 1976 season. Hundley played two more seasons with the Cubs before retiring. For his career, hundley played parts of 14 seasons, playing 1,026 games, hitting .236 with 82 HRs, 381 RBIs and 311 runs scored. For his efforts, Topps gave Hundley cards from 1966-'74 and '76-'77. The '66 card was a multi-player card that should have been a regular card if Hundley had a card in '65. That meant, Hundley needed cards from '65-'66, '75 and '78.

Once again, I relied on the master, aka Lynn from the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group, to create these masterpieces. Lynn has contributed thousands of his creations to the group, which isn't just baseball cards. It features cards of sports and nonsports. While I usually could create cards with these designs, I still wouldn't match Lynn's expertise.

My friend John Augustine and Randy collaborated to publish Ironman: Legendary Chicago Cubs Catcher Randy Hundley in 2023. The book is filled with great stories and the pictures are amazing.

You can order Ironman at lulu.com. I highly recommend it.

Beautiful Music with Nancy Faust

Earlier this summer, when I entered the hall at Chicago History Museum for the screening of My Father, Dick Allen, I was not surprised to hear beautiful baseball music being played on an organ. Of course, the organist was Nancy Faust. The long time organist for the White Sox was providing her usual mix of baseball and other popular songs, while setting the mood for the documentary.

Faust is credited with being the first organist to play specific walk-up music for players. Fittingly, Dick Allen was the first player to have that honor. Faust started playing "Jesus Christ Superstar" for the superstar slugger. That led to her playing certain songs for more players. Soon, it became the norm for players to have and even request certain songs as they approached the plate.

I saw Faust many times at White Sox games at Comiskey Park. I never got a picture with her then though. Arriving early as usual, I took the opportunity to approach her between songs and ask for a picture. She graciously complied without skipping a beat (literally). I really didn't want to bother her, but I knew the crowd would get a lot bigger and after the show she would be mobbed.

Faust looked great and played just like old days. As the evening ended, she played even more music as folks left. (I was glad I already had my picture).

Including Faust, the night was magically nostalgic. For baseball fans, My Father, Dick Allen, is a must-see.

Nancy Faust and me in Chicago, IL-June 2026.

Dirk Manning at Motor City Comic Con 2018

Fan Expo returns to Chicago August 14-16. As always, I will be "On the Beat" all weekend meeting all sorts of creators and celebrities.

Over the years, some of the creators have become friends. Dirk Manning is at the top of that list.

With an interesting booth and his face half-covered, Dirk knows how to draw people to his booth. He drew me to his booth about 15 years ago and I stop by every time we're at the same convention.

Dirk is a comics-creator, although he also wrote a very successful 'how-to" book on writing. More recently, he started doing graphic novels for wrestlers. That just shows his talent and versatility.

I have interviewed Dirk many times and he always delivers. He even revealed his favorite ice cream spot (Jeni's, and he was right), which is appreciated given his appreciation of ice cream.

Dirk is a great guy. If you see him at a convention, stop and check out his work. Also, take a minute to chat with him. He's full of interesting stories.

Go to MotorCityComicCon.com for more info and follow MCCC on Facebook for more frequent updates. Also, go to DirkManning.com for more info on him.

Dirk Manning and me in Novi, MI-May 2018.

Bananas or Crime Fighters

The Savannah Bananas actually started as a legit baseball team. Once they added entertainment, they started to become a phenomenon. Since then, they incorporated more entertainment, while keeping baseball as the soft backbone. They still play games and still compete, although the actual rules of baseball are often ignored, not that anyone cares.

Basically, the Bananas are sort of like the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. They sell out stadiums wherever they go. I don't know when (if?) the novelty will wear off, but for now, the Bananas are extremely popular.

Earlier this summer, the Bananas played a three-game series against the Fire Fighters (one of the six teams in the Banana Ball League) at Wrigley Field. When Dunkin' hosted a Banana event near my home that morning, I met brothers Zachary and Noah Bridges of the Fire Fighters. The event drew a huge crowd, as most Bananas events do.,

Zachary and Noah Bridges and me in Chicago, IL-July 2026.

Supernova of the Chicago Stars

The last time I covered a Chicago Stars game, I saw mascot Supernova greeting fans at the entrance. Of course I had to get a picture with him. For my first game this year, of course he was on my list to get again. 

As I left the Media Room and headed to the pressbox, I almost ran into him. I took advantage of the perfect timing and asked for a picture. His handler took the photo and my goal was accomplished early. It was almost too easy.

Supernova debuted in 2024, as the team was rebranded from the Red Stars. Supernova is described as a Martian with "blue eyes like the Chicago flag and a heart as big as Chicago."

Having secured my mascot picture, I found my spot in the pressbox and settled in for the game. The Stars upset Racing Louisville 3-2 to improve to 5-15-1. Unfortunately, the team is still in last place in the National Women's Soccer League. With 16 points, they trail 15th place Boston Legacy by four points. Moving up that one slot would be a nice way to finish the tough season.

I'll be back with the Stars later this seaosn. Hopefully by then, they will be on a winning streak.

Supernova and me in Evanston, IL-August 2026.