Israel Idonije and Magic

Last month, I enjoyed an evening of Magic at The Hand and The Eye with my pal Chuck. About halfway through the night, we recognized Israel Idonije among the other patrons.

Born in Nigeria, Idonije was drafted by Montreal of the Canadian Football League. He signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent instead. He never played for the Browns though. He later signed with the Chicago Bears, for whom he played nine seasons. He then played a season with the Detroit Lions. After that, he signed back with the Bears, but didn't make the team. He also signed with the New York Giants, but again did not make the team. That would be it for his playing career.

Since then, Idonije has been involved with various charitable causes, a comic book line, a book series and more. He is very active in the Chicago area.

I resisted the urge to bug him during the evening, but we happened to walk out together. At that point, I approached him and asked for a picture. He was very kind, chatting with us for a moment. I did thank him for an interview I did with him years ago at a comic con to promote his comic book.

Israel Idonije and me in Chicago, IL-September 2026.

Friend Encounters: Serenity and Tommy

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today I feature two of my favorites from my time with Resistance Pro Wrestling. It is a great representation of the best part of RPro.

Shortly after RPro debited, I met and interviewed Tommy Else, who earned a spot in the company via an open audition. Tommy became Eric St. Vaughn. Tommy became a good friend and wrestler, but I maintain the name change by management was a mistake. That's a whole other story though.

Serenity became one of my favorites, too. Young Serenity had a nice blend of energy and cute. She was like your little sister. She was also tough in the ring. She wasn't a contender for the Women's title, but she could have made a good tag team member if they had tag titles. 

Both Tommy and Serenity always gave me interviews. They understood how to market themselves. They knew any coverage was good and they were always willing. They also always gave great interviews, which is another reason why I kept going back to them.

Serenity eventually left wrestling. She seems to be doing well and is involved in frisbee competitions. I don't know why she left wrestling. I think she could have had a decent run. Maybe she was too small to win major titles, but in today's wrestling, she could have had a role.

As for Tommy, he left ESV behind and has wrestled very sporadically since. He is still a great physical trainer.

Looking back, Serenity or Else could have been a fun mixed tag team. Maybe have them feud with Ego Cruise (Robert Anthony and Melanie Cruise) lol.

The end of the original RPro wasn't pretty, but it doesn't take away from the good times. I never would have met these two fun folks.

Serenity and Tommy in Chicago, IL-March 2012.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #824: William Bendix & Ralph Lauren

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create digital trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. Today, I finish my season long alphabetical romp through all MLB teams.

Born in New York, William Bendix was a bat boy for the New York Yankees in the 1`920s. Life would come full circle years later when he portrayed Babe Ruth in The Babe Ruth Story. Bendix enjoyed a career in movies that spanned more than 25 years, right up to his early death in 1964 at the age of 58. Bendix earned his Celebrity Jersey Card for his work on the Babe movie, garnering extra points for having the Babe in his picture.

Born in New York, Ralph Lauren rose to fame as a fashion designer. The Ralph Lauren brand is a global multi-billion dollar enterprise. Among his many hobbies was car collecting, of which he had more than 100 classic cars. He was also a big philanthropist, focused mainly on cancer research. I don't know the origin of the picture of him wearing a full Yankees uniform, but it is a Clebrity Jersey Card rarity. I wonder what the uniform would look like if Lauren designed it.

Cards That Never Were: Gary Lance Topps 1978

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 borrow from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Pitcher Gary Lance was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 20th round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft. After not making the MLB yet, he was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals before the 1971 season. Lance made his MLB debut in 1977, going 0-1 with a 54.50 ERA, having pitched in only one game. That would be the only MLB game he pitched, although he was traded to the Seattle Mariners after the 1977 season. He pitched a few more seasons in the minors, before retiring.

For his efforts, Topps neglected Lance, but Gio of When Topps Had Baseballs didn't. Gio is the master and he often beats me to a creation. I always find these type of players fascinating. Lance made the MLB even if only one game. That merits a card.

Marley Shelton at Flashback Weekend 2026

I was envious of my buddy Tony when he met actress Marley Shelton. Fortunately, I evened the score at Flashback Weekend last month.

The Sandlot is one of my favorite movies, not just one of my favorite sports movies. Shelton played Wendy Peffercorn, who had a memorable scene with one of the boys.

Of course, Shelton has a much longer resume of parts than just Wendy, but that scene is iconic. Some of her other projects include Bubble Boy, Pleasantville and The Lottery, as well as a couple movies in the Scream franchise.

While talking with Shelton, I mentioned a couple of her roles, but had to add I really loved that famous scene. She smiled big and said that really touches her heart to hear fans speak so fondly of that role and scene.

While I was happy to match Tony with the picture, I was really happier just to meet Shelton. She had been on my list for many years.

For more info on Flashback Weekend, go to flashbackweekend.com. Look here for more of my recaps.

Cuzz, Marley and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2026.

Happy Birthday, Tony!

Today, my pal Tony joins Club 61. I wil celebrate it with you tomorrow at Northwestern softball, but I salute you here.

We still don't know exactly when or where we met. It was either at a wrestling show, softball game or comic con. We became friendly at Chicago Bandits softball games. We really connected at a convention when we waited to meet former Chicago Bear Chris Zorich. Since then, we have done a lot of fun stuff and we have a lot more to do, even if you move to Gettysburg.

Happy birthday, Fed. Enjoy your day with your wife, but we'll have some fun tomorrow.

Tony and me in Rosemont, IL-February 2026.

David Arquette at Flashback Weekend 2026

 A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting David Arquette. I thank Mike and Mia Kerz organizers of Flashback Weekend for making tiis happen.

Arquette has such an interesting background. Most people know of his famous actress relatives, but lesser known is his grandfather Charley Weaver, who was a regular on tv's Hollywood Squares.

Last year, I learned Arquette owns the rights to Bozo. That is why Joey D'Auria is now making appearances. D'Auria told us he owes it to Arquette.

Arquette is also a former champ in wrestling. In the later years of World Championship Wrestling, Arquette, a noted wrestling fan, was brought in for appearances. Somehow it morphed into him "accidentally" winning the title. Wrestling fan purists hate this, but the sanctity of wrestling was lost years ago. For his part, Arquette has always been respectful and didn't want to be champ. He gets unfairly criticize for this, but he maintains a positive approach.

I did not mention the wrestling when I met him. I am sure he hears enough of that. Despite his long line of fans, Arquette took time to make each encounter special.

For more info on Flashback, go to flashbackweekend.com. Check back here for more of my recaps.

David Arquette and me in Rosemont, ILAugust 2026.

Nate Robinson at Bulls Fest 2026

When I saw Nate Robinson listed as one of the Chicago Bulls appearing at Bulls Fest 2026, i had forgotten he played for the team. That didn't stop me from meeting him though.

Robinson starred at the University of Washington, before being selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft. He went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA for seven teams, including the Bulls. Robinson spent the entire 2012-2013 season with the Bulls, playing all 82 games and averaging 13.1 points per game, his second highest average. He played in two games with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2015-2016 season to finish his career.

More notably, we won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest three times. He is listed as 5'9" on basketball-reference.com. I think that is slightly generous, which makes his three wins even more impressive.

While these photo ops don't allow much time for chats, I got a bit extra time, because he received a phone call right as I met him. He ended the call quickly and apologized to me, which was very nice of him.

It was cool to meet Robinson. He's the type of player who wouldn't usually make appearances around the area. Fortunately, Bulls Fest brings back some interesting players.

Nate Robinson and me in Chicago, IL-August 2026.

Friend Encounters: Tony Schiavone and Steven

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today is another case of my friend being a celebrity, too. Artist Steve Walden would probably humbly eschew that label though.

Steven is a fantastic artist. You can see some of his work in the background of the picture. Those paintings are his recreations of sports trading cards, but he is not limited to just that. His art spans all genres. Mixed in with the many colorful fun booths at conventions, Steven's always stand out.

I'm not the only person who loves his art. At the recent sports convention, veteran broadcaster Tony Schiavone visited Steven's booth. With his background in wrestling and baseball, Tony is right in the target range of Steven's audience. I'm sure he was just as happy to see Steven's work as Steven was to meet him. I know other athletes and several hundred fans also checked out Steven's work there, too.

For for info on Steven's art, go to stevenwaldenart.com. Check back here for my other Friend Encounters.

Tony Schiavone and Steven in Rosemont, IL-August 2026.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #823: Joel Quenneville & Ryan Poles

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

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Joel Quenneville went on to a 13 year playing career before becoming a successful coach in the NHL. After stints with St. Louis and Colorado, Coach Q led the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles during his 13 seasons with the team. After leaving the Hawks, Coach Q had a stint with Florida before joining Anaheim. He tossed a ceremonial pitch for the White Sox to earn his Celebrity Jersey Card.

A native of New York, Ryan Poles played guard for Boston College. As an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Chicago Bears, but did not make the team. Instead, he returned to BC as an assistant for one season. He then joined the Kansas City Chiefs. After 13 seasons with the Chiefs, he was named GM for the Bears. He earned his celebrity Jersey Card by making a ceremonial pitch for the White Sox. Hopefully his pitches to free agents aren't just ceremonial.