After a successful collegiate career at UCLA, forward Monique Billings was selected by the Atlanta Dream in the second round (15th overall( of the 2018 WNBA Draft. In three seasons with the Dream, Monique has played 83 games (starting 18). She has averaged 5.5 points, .7 steals, .7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Last year, Monique was kind enough to send a shout out to Johngy's Beat. Somehow, I missed posting this last year. I never want a fun shout out to go unseen and it is still timely.
Thank you to Monique for the support. I encourage all to go to WNBA.com for more info on her, the Dream and the WNBA.
After an outstanding collegiate career at South Carolina, Tiffany Mitchell was selected by the WNBA Indiana Fever ninth overall at the 2016 WNBA Draft. In addition to her skills on the court, she was a top student, graduating with a B.S. in Retail Management. In four seasons with the Fever, Tiffany has averaged 9.4 points per game, with 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and .9 steals.
Tiffany was kind enough to send a shout out to Johngy's Beat. We greatly appreciate her time and thoughtfulness. We encourage everyone to check out Tiffany and the WNBA at WNBA.com.
After a stellar softball career at the University of Oklahoma, Keilani Ricketts has gone on to a great career with the National Pro Fastpitch USSSA Pride and Team USA. A couple months ago, Team USA announced Keilani's inclusion on the Team USA softball roster headed for the 2020 Olympics in July 2020 in Tokyo.
I have followed Keilani through most of her NPF career. Unfortunately, the Pride will not be in the NPF in 2020, but I will continue to follow Keilani wherever she pitches.
Keilani took a few minutes out of her training to send a shout out to Johngy's Beat. We greatly appreciate her kindness and consideration. We return the favor by encouraging all to follow Keilani at @LaniRicketts10 on twitter.
I'll be following Keilani and Team USA on the road to the 2020 Olympics. I'll provide recurring coverage here, on Patch.com and GlobalTravelerUSA.com. You can also check TeamUSA.org.
Melissa Archer burst on to the scene on tv's One Life To Live in 2001. She stayed on the show until it was cancelled in 2011. She has remained busy since, appearing on Days of Our Lives, as well as other episodic shows and movies.
A few years back, I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa and interviewing her at a convention. That interviews was a lot of fun and can be found at On the Beat With Melissa Archer. She was kind enough then to do a promo video for Johngy's Beat, which is in the Testimonial Videos column on the left.
Recently, Melissa sent another shout out to Johngy's Beat. We really appreciate her time and consideration. Melissa is definitely one of our favorites. You can follow her at @_MelissaArcher on twitter.
Caitlin Jo Burke tried out and made the roster of the 2015 Chicago Bliss of the Legends Football League (formerly Lingerie Football League). Covering the team that season, I had the pleasure of talking to her several times. My first interview with CJB can be found at On the Beat With Caitlin Jo Burke.
CJB moved from Chicago to Denver, but kept her passion for football. She tried out for the LFL Denver Dream and once again made the roster, although I had no doubt she would. CJB is an athlete. She is a tough young woman who has an athlete's mindset. She works incredibly hard at always improving her skill set. She loves challenges and plays through pain. She even played through a broken wrist last season.
Recently, Caitlin was kind enough to send a shout out to JohngysBeat.com. It's always cool when people I have covered send me promo videos. I appreciate it. Of course, I will always have a special place in my heart for former Bliss players, even when they are playing for another team like CJB is. I'm just happy to see her playing.
For more info on CJB and her teammates, check out LFLUS.com. These ladies aren't just pretty faces who play football. They are football players, who happen to have pretty faces.
Several years ago, Roddy Piper did a promo video for Johngy's Beat. That video sits at the top of the Promo Videos column on the left. Sadly, Roddy passed in 2015, but his legacy lives on, a huge part of which is his children.
Roddy was very close with his family. His son Colt often joined him at his appearances and he supported all of his kids in their various endeavors.
His middle daughter Teal (Ariel Teal Toombs) has done some acting and is currently embarking on a wrestling career. She is a talented young woman and I look forward to following her career wherever it takes her.
Teal and Colt helped carry on their father's legacy by finishing the autobiography that he started. Roddy always told me he was disappointed that his first book (In the Pit With Piper) was chopped too much by the editors. He wanted to tell more of his story. Unfortunately, he died before this could happen, but thanks to Teal and Colt, "Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story" was beautifully completed. I highly recommend this book.
Speaking of high recommendations, Teal sent along a little recommendation of her own. It is very amusing and certainly shows she is Roddy's child.
Thank you to Teal for her time, consideration and humor. You can follow her at @ArielTeal on twitter.
I always appreciate a shout out from celebrities, but this one is one o the most unique and one of the koolest. I probably should have waited until Mascot Week to run this celebrity testimonial, but it was too kool to wait that long.
Every August 9-11, Kool-Aid celebrates the invention of Kool-Aid in 1927 by Edwin Perkins by hosting Kool-Aid Days, a multi-day festival full of family fun. In conjunction with that, Kool-Aid Man was kind enough to make a special sign for Johngy's Beat. Unfortunately, we did not get this in time to celebrate Kool-Aid Days in a timely fashion, but it's always a good time to celebrate Kool-Aid, especially with a tall ice-cold glass of Kool-Aid (I prefer pineapple flavor).
Thank you to Kool-Aid Man and the Kraft Heinz Corporation for the consideration. Cheers!
The Chicago Bandits lost to the USSSA Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch championship series. It was a disappointing end to a great season.
As much as we all hate to see the season end, there are a lot of positive things happening with the Bandits. Under the reign of GM Toni Calmeyn and Assistant GM Jourdan Skirha, the Chicago Bandits continue to add elements to improve the game experience, as well as the overall exposure of the team. Ace onfield reporter Kacy Standohar was a new addition for the 2019 season.
Kacy will humbly eschew the "ace" label, but it is completely accurate and deserving. So while she won't include it in her official title, I will continue to introduce her as such.
At one of the first games this season, I noticed Kacy conducting pre-game interviews. Then I witnessed her doing in-game spots. Lastly, I saw Kacy interviewing players post-game. In between all of that, Kacy interacted with fans, studied notes and was a positive presence in the ballpark.
Kacy's interviews are such a welcome part of the continual effort to bring more exposure to the Bandits and the NPF. By providing timely, entertaining and informative interviews, Kacy brings the players closer to the fans. It's a chance to get raw emotion and feeling. It's the chance for fans to get in on the action. Kacy does a great job with all of this.
Fans know the Bandits and the NPF are underappreciated. These women are elite athletes and the games are at a top level of skill and competition. I fell in love with it all after my first game several years ago. Everyone I have brought to the games have always loved it and came back for more. The NPF needs more publicity and promotion, but it is moving in that direction and Kacy is a big part of that.
I have seen a lot of onfield reporters in my years of covering sports and Kacy is one of the best, even at her young age. She keeps her interviews on point. She works for the Bandits, but remains professional even while supporting the team. It's a tough line for a journalist to straddle, but Kacy does it well.
Thank you to Kacy for her time and consideration, especially since the NPF championship series kept her busier than usual. Still, she found time for our interview. It was a fun interview for me and I hope there will be more in the future.
Thanks also to the NPF and the Bandits for facilitating all of my coverage. Finally, thanks to cameraman Jonathan Cimaglio, who rejoined the Johngy's Beat crew. It's always good having Jonny Softball on board.
You can follow Kacy at @KacyStandohar on twitter and @KacyStandohar on Facebook. If you happen to see her in a Cleveland Indians jersey, she is a native of Ohio, but she did tell us she started liking the Cubs! (We knew she would).
Also be sure to check out ChicagoBandits.com for all of the info on Chicago's most exciting team. As always, check back here for my recurring coverage of the Bandits.
At the National Pro Fastpitch 2019 Awards banquet, Chicago Bandits Amanda Chidester won the Offensive Player of the Year and the Player of the Year awards. Both awards were well-deserved after she hit .380 with 15 homers, 35 rbi's and scored 25 runs this season.
A star at the University of Michigan, Amanda has played for Team USA since 2012. She joined the Bandits this season and made her mark quickly.
Of course, on a personal note, I greatly appreciate Amanda for catching my "slightly" high first pitch. Despite the height, I can always say that the catcher caught it!
After a tough loss in Game One, I caught up with Amanda. We talked about her awards, the loss and her family. Several things were very clear.
Amanda is such a positive person. After a rare loss, Amanda remained upbeat and seemed ready to play Game Two right then. There was no head-hanging. It was all about the next game.
It is also very evident how much her family means to her. I had the pleasure o sitting with her parents at the NPF Awards banquet. It was so interesting and pleasant talking with her father Brian. I heard some stories from Amanda's college career, as well as other tidbits. It was clear that the family is tight and all very proud of Amanda. It was heart-warming. They represent all that is good with softball.
We all agreed that women's softball is such an underappreciated sport. More stories like Amanda's need to be told.
For her part, Amanda helps the sport grow by always being there for the fans (even the big ones like me). She is one of the most popular Bandits and she always signs and takes photos for the fans.
I thank Amanda for her time and consideration. I wish her luck throughout the series.
After Friday's loss, the Bandits are now down 2-0. They need to win tonight to stay alive. The Bandits have come back many times this year and they need to do it again.
I also thank the Bandits organization and the NPF for facilitating my coverage. Check ChicagoBandits.com for more info on Amanda and her team and NationalProFastpitch.com for more info on the league.
Wednesday night at the 2019 National Pro Fastpitch Awards Dinner, the USSSA Pride's Kelly Kretschman won the first ever Legacy Award. That moment of joy was followed by her retirement announcement. It was a bittersweet moment for sure.
Kelly has been nothing short of an elite player. She is a 5x Cowles Cup champion, a 2x Offensive Player of the Year, an 8x All-NPF Team selection, a gold medal winner in the 204 Olympics, a silver medal winner in the 2008 Olympics and much more. My fingers would get tired listing all of her accomplishments.
She has been a pleasure to watch and cover and even more to know. Kelly's level of dedication and passion for the sport is unreal. She is a true professional in every sense and a real class act. I will miss her immensely on the field, but I hope to see her around the NPF in the future.
The Pride won Game One of the Cowles Cup championship series. After the game, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly. We talked about the game, winning the Legacy Award and her retirement. Kelly has been on my interview "wish list" for a while and I am very happy to have finally achieved it.
Thank you to Kelly for her time and consideration. Much luck to Kelly wherever her future takes her. Thank you to her for all of the great memories.
Thanks also to the USSSA Pride, the Bandits and the NPF for the hospitality and facilitating my coverage. Check NationalProFastpitch.com for more info on the league.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Megan Wiggins (then of the Chicago Bandits) during my first season covering the Bandits. That interview can be found at On the Beat With Megan Wiggins.
Fast forward several seasons and hundreds of games and hits, Megan is now with the USSSA Pride and still going strong. This season, Megan reached the 400 hits and 400 games played milestones.
In addition to her success on the field, Megan is doing great things off the field. Megan runs everything under the Two Five Refined banner. She has a training facility, which has fitness classes, personal training, coaching and more.
She isn't just about softball and fitness though. Megan also does beautiful work with restoration, word-working, antique work and other similar creative projects.
Earlier this season, I contacted Megan about interviewing her about the milestones and her antique work. She graciously agreed and we planned it for the last series when the Pride was in town. On game day, Megan approached me pre-game and asked if we could do it post-game. Of course, I would work completely around her availability, but that was a class gesture for her to even give me that courtesy. True to her word, despite working the long line of autograph seekers, Megan came over to me for the interview.
It was very interesting to talk to Megan about her "other" passion. Clearly, she loves softball, but it was cool hearing her discuss her antique work. You can see her excitement.
The interview is below, but it cal also be found as part of the In The Circle SB podcast from August 12 entitled USA Wins Pan Am, NPF Championship Preview, College Coaching News. This was my second contribution to Inside The Circle SB and I am sure there will be more coming.
A very special thanks goes to Megan for her time and consideration. She has always been great to me and I really appreciate her for everything. Also, thanks for many years of great softball play.
I spent last weekend at Days of the Dead horror convention in Indianapolis. I have met many creative folks over the years at DotD and am honored to call some of them my friends. Bobby Easley, Michelle Morris and Dustin Kay are three of those creative friends and they are creating something cool right now.
I first met all three several years ago and have seen their careers blossom over the years. We have done several interviews and I have seen several private screenings of their various projects. I am always highly entertained and impressed with their work.
It's always tricky watching the work of friends How would I give an honest opinion if I disliked the product? Fortunately, I have really, honestly liked everything I have seen from this group.
At Days of the Dead, I had the pleasure of catching up with the trio and interviewing them. They gave me the scoop on their latest project. Versiera is an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation of “The Dreams in the Witch House,” originally written and published in the 1930's. Michelle (also professionally known as Portia Chellelynn) plays Alice Gilman, the main character (changed from Walter Gilman in the original).
Just listening to Bobby, Michelle and Dustin discuss this project, you can feel the passion and excitement they have for it. They are hustlers in the best sense of that word and you cannot help but get caught up in the fervor. Based on the past and what I hear about this project, that anticipation will be rewarded once we see the finished film.
While the details were held to a minimum at this point, they assured me I will get more details as the project progresses. Bobby mentioned November as a possible time and that coincides with Days of the Dead in Chicago. I am holding them to an update interview there and will continue to bring info and updates as I get them.
Along with the talk of Versiera, the trio also briefly discussed other projects they have in the works. As I said, they are busy and we all benefit from the entertainment they provide.
Until then, enjoy this interview with Bobby, Michelle and Dustin. Keep an eye out for Versiera!
Barely 22 years old, Rachel Garcia is already building an impressive softball resume. With the Olympics and her senior season at UCLA coming in 2020, she only looks to build that resume a bit more. You can see all of Rachel's accomplishments on her UCLA biography or her Team USA page.
When I get my media credential for Team USA's training camp in Rosemont last week, I had to make decisions on my interview requests. Obviously, I would have liked to interview the entire team, but time constraints made that impossible. As you saw over the last few days, I got interviews with Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman. I wanted two of the best pitchers ever an I got them. When looking at the rest of the roster, I saw some great names. I picked Rachel, based on her youth and her recent accomplishments.
Rachel's UCLA Bruins beat Oklahoma to win the 2019 Women's College World Series. She earned many awards and accolades last season and certainly was lanuched into the national spotlight. On Team USA, she is gaining world wide notoriety.
In the dugout, I encountered a soft-spoken, articulate young lady. As we talked, I kept thinking about how much talent she had and how much work she has done. She has earned everything. I wonder how it felt at that age? Did she even realize what she has done and is in the process of doing? If not now, she certainly will someday.
It was a real pleasure meeting and talking to Rachel. It was even better watching her practice, warm up and play over the weekend. I thanked her again when I saw her after the weekend's games. She was gracious and appreciative.
This concludes my round of interviews with Team USA. While the rest of the team would have been great choices, too, I feel very good about the three I got. Cat, Monica and Rachel are three o the best and are three wonderful people. I feel honored to have been a part of this weekend.
Thank you to the Cat, Monica and Rachel, Team USA Managing Director of Communications Codi Warren, the entire Team USA organization, NPF Commissioner Cheri Kempf, Chicago Bandits GM Toni Calmeyn and Assistant GM Jourdan Skihra for facilitating these interviews and all of my coverage.
Monica Abbott has done it all in the world of softball. She's won gold medals, championships, pitched perfect games, pitched no-hitters and owns a huge list of records. While still actively pitching in Japan and with the Scrapyard Dawgs (formerly of National Pro Fastpitch), Monica decided to add one more note to her resume. She will represent the country in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
I had the pleasure of watching Monica up close when she pitched for the Chicago Bandits. As a softball newbie, I had heard of Monica, but I wasn't all too familiar with her. I learned quickly why she is one of the all time greats. Monica could often be dominant.
In her NPF career, she was 126-41 with an ERA of 1.01. She had a season when she allowed .31 runs a game and in her "worst" season, her ERA was 1.55.
Monica is a bulldog. I once saw her pitch several extra innings in a game and asked her how long she would/could have gone. She looked at me like I was a bit goofy, when she determinedly said "as long as it took."
Obviously Monica is one of the greatest on the field, but she is also a class act off the field. She is dedicated to growing the game and giving back. In 2012, she established the Monica Abbott Scholarship Fund to pay it forward. More info is available at MonicaAbbott.com.
Monica and Team USA will be in Rosemont tonight and tomorrow to play the Bandits and the USSSA Pride. You can go to ChicagoBandits.com for more info.
Cheyenne Parker was born in Queens< New York and played basketball at High Point University for
three seasons before transferring to Middle Tennessee State University for her last season. Parker was selected 5th overall in the 2015 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky and has played with the team since then.
I first met Parker at Media Day last season. I had the pleasure of watching her play up close when covering the team. Last season was her best season yet, as she averaged 10 points per game.
Parker took a few minutes before a recent practice to send a shout out to Johngy's Beat. We really appreciate the support.
In turn, we encourage everyone to check out Sky.WNBA.com for all of the info on Parker and the Sky. The Sky open the season this Saturday in Minnesota against the Lynx.
Yesterday, DePaul University beat the Providence Friars to advance to the championship game of the Big East tournament for the third straight year. DePaul improved their record to 33-14 overall with the 4-0 victory over Providence. Today, they face Villanova, who beat St. John's earlier yesterday.
DePaul jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning. Maranda Gutierrez singled, then advanced on a Jessica Cothern ground out. Morgan Greenwood walked and Kate Polucha cleared the bases with a three run home run.
The score remained 3-9 until the bottom of the 4th. Skylor Hilger singled and scored when Brianna Viles struck out, but reached on an error.
Natalie Halverson went the distance for her 20th win of the season. She allowed only 4 hits, while striking out 5 and walking none.
After the game, I talked to both Coach Adix-Zins and Halvorson about the big win and the upcoming championship game. Both were naturally excited and ready for today's game (at 11:30).
Thank you to DePaul's Bob Sakamoto and Alyssa Damato for their assistance as well as Communications Assistant Korey Schrock from the Big East. Also thanks to the Big East and DePaul University.
Emily Reppert is an Emmy-nominated reporter and host. Currently, she is the In-Game host for the New York Mets.
A graduate of Temple University, Emily started her career in Minnesota, then moved on to FOX Sports Southwest. Her first national role was at the inaugural BattleFrog College Championship on ESPN in 2015. She has remained very busy as she builds her career and gains recognition.
Emily was kind enough to do a promo for Johngy's Beat. It was extra nice of her to mention that the site is the "316th best site for pop culture nuggets," a fact she learned on her own. It was a funny and cool extra personal touch, which was above and beyond even doing the promo.
It's that kind of effort that has earned her respect in the industry. She is dedicated to her craft and is fan-friendly. I have been a fan of her work for a while, but now I am a bigger fan. She ends the promo with a "Go Mets," which is expected given her current role. As a lifelong Cubs fan, it's hard for me to say that, but just this once, just for Emily, Go Mets!
Geoff Blum is a former Major League Baseball player who had a solid 14 year career. Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos,. Blum made his debut in 1999 and played 3 seasons north of the border.
He was traded to the Houston Astros, where he played 2 seasons, before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, where he played in 2004. The San Diego Padres signed him for the 2005 season, but traded him to my Chicago White Sox during the season.
As a long-time fan of Blum's, it was cool to see him play here. He only appeared in 31 games for the Sox during the regular season, but it was his big home run in the World Series which forever earned him a place in the hearts of Sox fans. He hit a game-winning solo home run in the 14th inning in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series.
After the season, he returned to San Diego as a free agent. He played 2 seasons in San Diego, returned to Houston for 3 more seasons and finished with 2 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The versatile Blum logged time at all infield positions, as well as the outfield. For his career, he hit .250, with 990 hits, 99 home runs, 479 rbi's and 446 runs scored.
I had the pleasure of getting a quick interview with Blum during his time with the Astros. That interview can be found at On the Beat with Geoff Blum. It was very cool to talk to one of my long-time favorites and a White Sox hero.
Recently, Blum was kind enough to do a promo video for me. That video is below. Thanks to Geoff for the promo video and for years of fun following your career.
At C2E2 2018, I had the pleasure of interviewing comics artist and writer Art Baltazar. That interview can be found at On the Beat With Art Baltazar at C2E2 2018. This year, at C2E2 2019, I interviewed his Aw Yeah Comics store partner and fellow comic book writer/artist Franco Aureliani (usually known simply as Franco).
Franco is the artist and co-writer with Art Baltazar of Tiny Titans. The two creators won the 2009 and 2011 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids. The pair won another Eisner in 2014 for Best Publication for early readers with Itty Bitty Hellboy,
Franco has a fantastic artist and is very popular on the comics scene. His resume and portfolio is quite impressive as you can see on ComicBookDB (the Comic Book database).
Franco also partnered with Sara Richard on The Ghost, The Owl. I listed The Ghost, The Owl in Great Reads for Global Traveler magazine. As I state in the interview, while The Ghost, The Owl might be aimed at kids, I find it immensely entertaining. The text goes perfectly with the artwork. It is a beautiful marriage and I was mesmerized the first time I read it. After the interview, I asked Franco to sign it. Now I need to add Sara to it.
In the interview below, w talked about his start, The Ghost, The Owl, Aw Yeah Comics and more. Due to the nature of a convention, the audio is a bit rough at times. (I also need to get better equipment.) Still, it gives a great feel of the action at C2E2 and it allows me to direct you to other places to learn more about this talented creator.
I also had a little fun with Franco at the very start of the interview. Thankfully, Franco rolled right with it. You can clearly see I am having a blast in this interview. I am a big fan of Franco and interviewing him was a real honor and pleasure.
Thank you to Franco for his time and consideration and also for his beautiful work and for allowing me to have a lot of fun in this interview. Thanks, too, to the fine folks at C2E2 for the hospitality and access.
When I saw artist Rob Schamberger was appearing at C2E2, I immediately contacted him about an interview. I have been a fan of the WWE Artist in Residence for a long time and I had him on my Interview Wish List" for a while. Rob graciously agreed to give me a few minutes of his time.
Rob has been creating masterpieces for more than two decades. His work features bold colors and unique color combinations. His style meshes well with the world of pro wrestling, with its colorful characters and superhuman bodies.
Being the WWE Artist in Residence is quite an accomplishment. To be embraced and featured by a megacompany like the WWE speaks volumes on Rob's success and popularity.
Of course, one of my favorite pieces of Rob's is his Roddy Piper art. One of the most recent excellent works Rob has created features my old pal Sarah Logan and the Riott Squad (formerly Crazy Mary Dobson from Resistance Pro). It is so cool seeing Sarah painted by Rob.
In our interview below, we talked about Rob's start, his favorite wrestlers (past and present), his work with the WWE and more. It was a lot of fun and I really appreciate Rob's time and consideration.
One of the many cool parts of Rob's work is that his paintings are all different. It's not like a cookie-cutter approach to every WWE star. This shows tremendous creativity. I really have gotten lost in his pictures while checking out his gallery. They are all simply beautiful.
I always try to get my favorite artists to do their take on The Johngy character. I think Rob is a little too big for that (unfortunately for me). I can dream though and in my dream, Rob creates a version of The Johngy which would fit right in the WWE universe.
After you watch the interview, go to RobSchamberger.com to learn more about Rob and to see a ton of his creations. You can go to WWE Shop to see his available merchandise.
Thank you to Rob for the interview. Thanks, too, to the fine folks at C2E2 for the hospitality and for facilitating the interview.
