Celebrity Jersey Cards #814: Zach Banner & Hines Ward

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.

Born in Washington, Zach Banner played for USC before being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. The offensive lineman was released by the Colts, but signed by the Cleveland Browns for the 2017 season. After one season, the Browns released him, he was claimed and cut by the Carolina Panthers before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played four seasons with the Steelers and is currently a free agent. He was the first Chamorro (the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands) ever drafted in the NFL. Banner's B3 Foundation supports Black and Brown youth in Tacoma, Los Angeles, and Guam. Banner earned a Celebrity Jersey Card tossing a pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He wore #13, most recently worn by Ke'Bryan Hayes.

Hines Ward was born in Seoul, South Korea, but went on to star at the University of Georgia. He was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 1988 NFL draft. He made the Pro Bowl four times, was a Super Bowl champ twice and a Super Bowl MVP once in his stellar 14 seasons with the Steelers. He wore his usual #86 when he tossed a first pitch to land on a Celebrity Jersey Card. That number was never worn by any Pirate.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #814: Special AUSL Edition: Alyssa Brito, NiJaree Canady, Rachel Garcia & Tiare Jennings

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create digital trading cards for celebrities wearing sports jerseys. 

Today, I feature four professional softball players from Athletes Unlimited Softball League. In its second season, AUSL has six teams. This season, the Utah Talons beat the Chicago Bandits for the championship.

Four AUSL players were invited to participate in the MLB All-Star game festivities. Alyssa (Blaze), NiJaree Volts), Rachel (Volts) and Tiare (Volts) were the chosen players. MLB has invested in AUSL and is promoting and including the league. It is a great sign to see the players and league get such exposure.

I have been a fan of women's softball (college and pro) for many years. It is still a sport that is very off the radar for most, but it is gaining momentum.

Chicago Knockouts Pam

Roller Derby is sports entertainment which seems to be eluding me of late. Whether it is the Windy City Rollers, Chicago Knockouts or any of the other area derby companies, none seem to be consistently having events.

My first foray into roller derby was with the Windy City Rollers who then played at the UIC Pavilion. That lasted a few years, then stopped.

My next company was the Chicago Knockouts, who ran shows in Homewood. Again, I enjoyed events for a while. I even learned my pal Tony loved roller derby and we went together a few times.

We also saw random derby events in other areas, but nothing on a regular basis. Unfortunately, other groups were not as fun for various reasons like bad venues, distance or other factors.

I miss seeing WCR or CKO in action. During my time following either, I met so many great and entertaining women skaters (rollers?). One of the best was Pam or CKO. 

With CKO, Pm skated under several gimmicks, as is the case and part of the fun. She was one of the best and fastest on the track. She always greeted us with the biggest smile after the matches.

I interviewed Pm a couple times and learned so much more about her. She is extremely intelligent and very athletic.

I haven't seen Pam in a couple years. We keep hoping she'll make a roller derby comeback. We also hope roller derby groups start having regular events again.

Pam and me in Homewood, IL-November 2024.

Jason Mewes at Wizard World (Fan Expo)

Running August 14-16, Fan Expo is approaching fast. Of course, I will be "On the Beat" as usual.

The convention scene in general has undergone changes over the many years I have been covering cons. There use to be a lot more comic books. The focus started to shift to celebrity appearances. As that got more popular, bigger names started appearing, while the overall guest list got a bit smaller. Either way, there is something for everyone.

I met actor Jason Mewes about a decade ago at Wizard World (now Fan Expo). Mewes is probably best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the Jay and Silent Bob duo. Although very popular, Mewes still made sure everyone had a special moment while meeting him.

I especially like these type of interactions. While I was a fan of his, I didn't know a ton about him. I wanted to meet him for my coverage, but didn't know what to expect. It turned out to be completely enjoyable.

Every year, I have a few such interactions. I look forward to another year of meeting new folks and seeing how those moments go.

For more info on Fan Expo go to fanexpohq.com. Also, check here for my recurring coverage.

Jason Mewes and me in Rosemont, IL-August 2016.

Carving Out Sue Bird

I was pleasantly surprised during my recent visit to the Dunn Museum. The newest exhibit Carving Out the Future: The Rotblatt Amrany Studio Story featured a lot of athletes, including WNBA legends Sue Bird and A'ja Wilson.

Founded in 1992 by artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, the Rotblatt Amrany sculpture studio and school has statues, memorials and parks all over the world. Running through January 2027, this exhibit features many athletes, but also historic figures like astronaut James Lovell.

Upon entering the gallery, the first thing you see is a section dedicated to Michael Jordan. Moving along, there are sculptures of Jordan's teammate Scottie Pippen, Green Bay Packers legendary coach Vince Lombardi, Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg and many more. Then I saw Sue Bird.

Bird played her entire 19 year career with the Seattle Storm, making 13 All-Star teams, winning four WNBA titles and being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bird is a basketball legend.

It's not that she wouldn't deserve a sculpture. I am just happy Bird and Wilson (a current star and legend in the making) were acknowledged with these sculptures. As a longtime fan of both and supporter of women's sports, it was great seeing them represented.

Go to Carving Out the Future on Global Traveler to get more pictures. Check back here for my coverage of other great sculptures, statues and art.

Sue Bird and me in Libertyville, IL-June 2026.

Jessica Snow at Squared Circle Expo VI

My buddy Tony and I always say knowing Jessica (aka Mrs. Al Snow) is one of the more surreal experiences to come from covering events over the years. How did we become friends with Al Snow's wife?!

The story really starts with Al. I interviewed him about 15 years ago, when I first met him. I was so green I hadn't contacted him prior to the event to introduce myself and ask for an interview. Although he had no idea who I was, he still gave me an interview. It was a very good interview, too.

Then it became a running gag that Al would fake some sort of punch to my for any picture we took. As much as I looked forward to that silliness, Al enjoyed it even more, bursting with laughter each time I showed him the resulting picture.

At some point early on, I saw Jessica with Al at his booth. Maybe because of the number of times I saw them both or the interactions I had with Al, Jessica joined the fun. She even turned heel on me at a comedy show featuring Al and David Vox Mullen. Fortunately, "nice" Jessica returned the next time I saw her. LOL In reality, Jessica is always nice. Her "heel turn" was a way of showing me I was in with the crew and I appreciated it for the humor it brought.

We appreciate Jessica so much. A the last Squared Circle Expo, we actually didn't get to chat with Al beyond a quick greeting. We took that opportunity to chat with Jessica though. 

Since then, Jessica always greets me with a big hug and warm smile. It's always great seeing Al anywhere, but it is even better when Jessica is there.

Jessica, Tony and me in Indianapolis, IN-March 2026.

Friend Encounters: Skye Blue and Ty

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Keeping his memory alive, I once again feature my departed friend Ty. He would really love this one.

Ty was a big wrestling fan. He watched wrestler Skye Blue from her earliest days. Now he would enjoy watching her rise in All Elie Wrestling. At least Ty got to see her debut in AEW and start the climb.

It is rare to follow a wrestler basically from the very beginning, but Ty and several of us saw her many years ago. She was so young, but you could see the talent in her. It just took time and experience to hone those skills. Skye worked hard at all aspects of her career and it paid off. She is one of the most visible wrestlers in AEW now and her future is bright.

Ty would be so excited and so proud of her. He was such a loyal suporter of her an all other of his favorites. Ty was everything you would want in a wrestling fan and a friend actually.

I miss Ty at wrestling shows and comic cons. We all do. RIP Ty.

Ty and Skye Blue January 2024.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #812: Harold Carmichael & Billy Bean

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 get phanatical about the Phillies.

Born in Florida, Harold Carmichael starred at Southern University before the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the 7th round of the 1971 NFL draft. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career, at wide receiver. At 6'8", he was a force on the field, racking up almost 9,000 receiving yards 14 years, although he last season was only two games with the Dallas Cowboys, a stint which still annoys me. That yardage was impressive for that era. He signed with the Cowboys after being waived by the Eagles. He caught one pass in those two games and was cut. I hate seeing careers end like that. Carmichael went old school with his jersey as he made a Celebrity Jersey Card with the Phanatic.

Born in California, Billy Bean played six seasons with three teams in the MLB, as well as one season in Japan. His legacy goes well beyond the ball field though. A couple years after retiring, Bean came out as gay and was named MLB's first ambassador for inclusion in 2014. After years of working to promote inclusion, Bean died of leukemia in 2023. He earned his Celebrity Jersey Card while on the field for a Phillies game. Once again, the Phanatic got into the picture. Someday, I hope to meet the Phanatic.

Cards That Never Were: Larry Lintz Topps 1978-79

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series featuring virtual trading cards I created for players missing in various sets. It is a concept I have borrowed from far too many to list, but I thank them all.

Larry Lintz was selected from San Jose State University by the Montreal Expos in the 6th round of the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft. After making his MLB debut in 1972 with the Expos, he played for them until he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals midseason in 1975. After the '75 season, he was traded to the Oakland A's, who released him after two seasons. He finished his career in 1978 with the Cleveland Indians. All told, he played 350 games, hitting .227 with no homers, 27 RBIs and 137 runs scored. He also had 128 stolen bases. While with the A's, he played in 109 games, but only batted 31 times. He was part of the pinchrunning crew utilized by the A's.

For his eforts, Topps gave him cards in sets 1973-77. That left 1978-79 missing. Once again I was beaten to these by folks from the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook Group. It is filled with thousands of such creations. These two were made by Lynn and Jeff, two of the best and busiest creators.

Gorgeous George Frankenstein Stephanie Bellars

That title is a long name (or series of names) for an interesting woman who rose to fame in the wrestling world. Let me explain all of that.

The woman in the picture doesn't look like a George. She does look gorgeous though. So how did Stephanie Bellars become Gorgeous George?

Many years ago, Stephanie dated Macho Man Randy Savage. He began using her as his velt in pro wrestling. Savage already owned the Gorgeous George name, having purchased it for his brother Lanny Poffo to use, but he gave it to Bellars for use in World Championship Wrestling.

Savage and Bellars broke up, but she kept using the name or variations of it. She later altered it to George Frankenstein. She certainly doesn't look like a Frankenstein, but that's another story.

I first met her many years ago thanks to PL Myers. Since then, I have seen her several times. When I saw she was appearing in Romeoville and I was in nearby Naperville, I had to visit her.

As soon as I walked into the convention, Georgie ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. She's such a sweetie. We caught up for a while, but I didn't want to get in the way of her meeting fans. I popped in and out a couple times, not overstaying each visit. Upon leaving, I made sure to chat one last time.

Georgie has had an interesting life. I don't know if the wrestling business was really fair to her, but she gained a lot of fans and friends. She's a genuinely nice person and I wish her happiness. I also hope to see her here again soon.

Gorgeous George and me in Romeville, IL-June 2026.