Mad About Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt

Fan Expo Chicago always has a large celebrity guest lineup. This year, as soon as I saw Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt were coming, I set my sights on meeting them.

Both have had great careers on television and in movies, but my favorite role was pairing them on Mad About You. Ordinarily I prefer solo shots with celebrities, but in this case, I wanted both together and was happy when I saw they were doing a joint photo op. '

The time to chat during photo ops is minimal. At best, you hope for an exchange of pleasantries. I am happy to report both Reiser and Hunt were very nice, asking our names and thanking us for coming. It doesn't seem like much, but when they have hundreds of photos to take in a short time span, that is about as good as it gets. If you want more time to chat, it is best to go to their booth for an autograph. Even there, time is obviously limited, but at least you get a couple minutes.

I did not get their autographs, because we left after this photo op, but I hope to get them to sign the picture in the future. Then do I get Tony to sign it, too? LOL.

Thank you to the fine folks at Fan Expo for the hospitality. Go to fanexpohq.com for more info on future shows.

Paul Reiser, Tony, me and Helen Hunt in Rosemont, IL-August 2025.

Talking Travel with Angie Orth

Travel expert Angie Orth was on my radar for a long time. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing her for Talking Travel on Global Traveler.

Orth has done a lot in the travel industry. She has a very informative site, along with videos, podcasts, social media posts and more. She also published a book, Flirting with Disaster.

Her project with her sister is on hiatus, although she hopes to restart it. It was a fun series in which they split destination activities for luxury travelers and budgeted folks.

During our interview, I initiated a friendly debate about her Chicago list. I questioned her about the appeal of Cloudgate (aka the Bean). She had solid reasons and i respect her stance, although I still hate the Bean.

Next I asked if she had tried Chicago's thin crust pizza. Deep dish gets all the love, but I prefer thin crust (even from the legendary Lou Malnati's). Once again, Orth backed up her opinion. We did both agree though that all pizza is good.

For more info on Orth, go to angieaway.com. Check our interview at Talking Travel with Angie Orth on GT. Also, please subscribe to the GT YouTube channel.

Friend Encounters: Nickla Roberts and John

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

John D. is another friend I met through conventions. I always look forward to seeing him at a wrestling show, comic con or other such event

It was at a wrestling event earlier this year that John met Nickla Roberts, best known for her stint in pro wrestling as Baby Doll. Roberts was involved in several big storylines with Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes and the Four Horsemen. Roberts was married to former wrestlers Sam Houston (half-brother of Jake Roberts). Roberts has since remarried.

Usually I am envious of the folks John meets, but this time I am okay, but only because I met her at the same eevnt. Roberts looked great and was very engaging with fans. The same could be said for John, too.

The event was a fan fest hosted by Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling. Led by Herb Simmons, SICW holds several events during the year, culminating in the big fan fest. This was the first one I attended, but it won't be the last.

For more info and scheduling, go to sicw.org. For more on John, check back here or look for him at events.

Nickla Roberts and John in St. Louis, MO-May 2025.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #759: Allison Schmitt & Claressa Shields

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards fo celebrities wearing jerseys.

Born in Pittsburgh, Allison Schmitt grew up in Michigan and became a four-time Olympian and a ten-time Olympic medalist in various swimming events. Schmitt has won twenty-five medals in international competitions. Schmitt earned her Celebrity Jersey Card tossing a cermonial pitch for the Detroit Tigers.

Pro boxer and former professional mixed martial artist Claressa Shields was born in Flint, Michigan. She is the only boxer, female or male, to hold all four major world titles in boxing (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) in three weight classes. In 2022, Shields had a street named after her in Flint. She earned her Celebrity Jersey Card while throwing a first pitch for the Tigers.

Cards That Never Were: Bob Oliver Topps 1966, '76 and Updates

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards of players missed in various sets over the years. It is a concept I borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bob Oliver as an amateur free agent prior to the 1963 season. Oliver made his MLB debut with three games in 1965. After two more seasons in the minors, the Pirates traded him to the Minnesota Twins. After the 1968 season in the minors, the Kansas City Royals selected him in the Expansion Draft. He made it back to the Majors with the Royals. Midway through the '72 season, he was dealt to the California Angels. In September of 1974, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles and then purchased by the New York Yankees in December. Midway through the '75 season, the Yankees released him, ending his MLB career. He did play a few more seasons in the minors though. For his eight year MLB career, the first baseman-outfielder his .256, with 745 hits, 94 HRs, 419 RBIs and 293 runs scored. He is also the father of former MLB pitcher Darren.

For his efforts, Topps gave Oliver cards in 1969-'75. That left '66 and '76 to be created. Once again, when I started to make these missing cards, I saw that Lynn from the Custom Baseball Cards Facebook group beat me to them. Lynn is probably the most active member on that site, creating hundreds (thousands?) of cards and not just baseball despite the name of the group. Since Lynn did them so well, there was no need for me to duplicate his effort and not as well as he did anyway. Lynn even went above and beyond, creating the two missing cards, along with updating two others. Lynn made a '66 rookie card, a '69 solo card, a '75 nonairbrushed card and a '76 career-capper.

Goodbye, Good Luck and Thank You Lauren Curry

Ohio native Lauren Curry made a great debut for Northwestern, pitching a scoreless inning. A versatile athlete, she finished her career with more appearances at the plate than on the mound. She was the ultimate team player, always encouraging her mates. She also was a big fan favorite, always greeting fans with a big smile (even for us older fans, as witnessed below).

Lauren leaves Northwestern as she heads for her bright future. It was a pleasure following her career throughout the years. Despite not playing as much as she would have liked, she earned her place in NU history and fans' hearts.

Thank you to Lauren for great memories. Thanks, too, for always being so positive. Good luck always.

 Lauren Curry and me in Evanston, IL-April 2025.

My Colleague and Friend Elliott Serrano

I have been a longtime admirer of Elliott Serrano's work. Serrano is a comic-book author, writer, "King of Chicago Geeks" and more. He has written for Playboy, the Chicago Tribune, the RedEye and elsewhere.

Thanks to my pal Paul Myers, I was able to interview Elliott a few years ago. Part One of that interview is at HeroTV: Elliott Serrano. You can get to the second part from there.

Since then, I am proud to say we have become friends, even though I hounded him about his Chicago Media championship. Elliott played along and it was a lot of fun along the way. Elliott's brother Steven actually sent me a mock title belt for more fun.

I am nowhere near as accomplished as Elliott, but it tickles me to no end that we are media colleagues. We cover some of the same events. He's higher on the food chain than I am, but he's earned it.

Recently at the wedding vows renewal of Paul and his wife, I caught up with Elliott. It still is surreal being friends with someone who I followed for so long. As for Elliott, he's as cool as could be. There is no ego on him.

I look forward to more fun with Elliott. I encourage all to check Elliott's work and follow him on social media for a lot of pop culture fun.

Elliott Serrano and me in Franklin Park, IL-July 2025.

Finally Meeting Chuck Swirsky

I have an interesting hostroy with Chuck Swirsky, dating back to 1988. Earlier this year, I finally got to meet him and get a picture with him.

Back in my early days with Lerner Newspapers, we promoted at a lot of neighborhood fests. For one fest, we had a big cardboard of our front page with a big cutout for fun pictures. Then a WGN broadcaster, Swirsky was appearing there, too. I handed him the cardboard and he graciously posed for the photo below. It was the coolest pic we ever got with that thing, but of course, I received no credit.

Fast forward many years, Swirsky published his autobiography. I emailed him about a Zoom interview and within days, we had it done. What a thrill for me. He is such a class act. That interview is at On the Beat with Chuck Swirsky.

I missed a few promotion appearances from Swirsky, but kept hoping to meet him. Finally when I saw he was appearing at Bulls Fest, I had my chance.

At a booth hosted by Autograph1 and Mitch Dubinsky, Swirsky was selling his bobbleheads, which benefitted Chicago Bulls Charities. I bought one for my lifelong pal and fellow Swirsky fan Tom and finally got my picture with Swirsky.

A broadcast veteran of more than 45 years, Swirsky is a true sports talk radio pioneer. Even better, he is a class act. A man of faith and love for his family, Swirsky is such a positive guy.

Thank you, Chuck! Thanks for years of listening pleasure and finally a picture.

Chuck Swirsky and me in Chicago, IL-August 2025.

Patrick Wohl Book Discussion

Patrick Wohl is an author and attorney originally from Illinois. One of his books is Something Big: The True Story of the Brown's Chicken Massacre, A Decade-long Manhunt and the Trials That Followed.

Wohl's book is a respectful, in-depth look into the tragedy. The horrific events took place in 1993 at a Brown's Chicken in Palatine, a northwest suburb of Chicago.

Earlier this year, I attended a Barnes & Noble book discussion featuring Wohl. He discussed the case and his work for about 30 minutes, then answered questions. Wohl seemed to go to great lengths to be careful of feelings as he wrote the book. He did not dip into sensationalism. He wanted to present the case and his findings as they were, with no need to supersize them.

After the discussion, I chatted briefly with Wohl and got a picture. The lengthy line prevented me from much more, but I was satisfied with the evening.

For more info on Wohl and his books, go to patrickwohl.com. Check back here for other pop culture book discussions.

Patrick Wohl and me in Skokie, IL-July 2025.

Friend Encounters: Leva Bates and Jim

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

This is entitled Blue Pants meets black pants, although it looks more like black shorts and black pants, but I digress.

Blue Pants is the nickname of pro wrestler Leva Bates. A longtime fixture on the women's wrestling scene, Bates doesn't appear to be as active as she once was. At 42, that doesn't seem unusual.

Bates is known for great cosplay, in and out of the ring. She might not be the first to do so, but she is one of the first to make it popular. Now, we see others doing so.

My pal Jim met her at a convention in Indianapolis last year. While I did meet Bates several years ago when she appeared at Resistance Pro when I was doing videos there, I still would have liked to see her again, even if it meant seeing Jim. (You take the good with the bad.)

Jim is actually a nice guy and a huge wrestling fan. He goes to more and farther shows than I do. He meets more wrestlers, too, although you might think that's hard to do. Still, Jim manages to meet a lot. This is one I really envy though. Jim has one up on me here, but I'll get even.

Leva Bates and Jim in Indianapolis, IN-April 2025.

Celebrity Jersey Cards #758: Dylan Baker & Johnny Knoxville

Celebrity Jersey Cards is a weekly series in which I create virtual trading cards fo celebrities wearing jerseys.

Born in Syracuse, New York and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, Dylan Baker has gone on to a solid acting career. His first recurring role was on Murder One, but that's just one part on his lengthy resume. Baker also narrates many audiobooks. Baker appeared in the Big Slick Celebrity Softball Classic in Kansas City. Big Slick is a fantastic charity event I hope to attend some day. Baker shows decent form, but it looks like it might end up as a pop up. It makes a good action Celebrity Jersey Card.

Phillip John Clapp was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and adopted that city name as his surname. Knoxville has made a living doing goofy stunts and pranks, but he was serious at the Big Slick Celebrity Softball game. Knoxville was focused and ready at bat and didn't do any of his usual shenanigans. I'm not a huge fan of his act, but I respect his success. I also respect him for giving his time to the cause. That merits a Celebrity Jersey Card.

Cards That Never Were: Leon Brown Topps 1977

Cards That Never Were is a recurring series in which I create virtual trading cards for players missed in various sets over the years. It is a concept I borrowed from far too many to list, but I appreciate all of their efforts.

Outfielder Leon Brown was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 9th round of the 1966 amateur draft. In 1971, the San Francisco Giants selected him in the minor league draft. The Giants traded him to the New York Mets prior to the 1976 season, a season in which he would make his MLB debut. It would also be his only season in the bigs. After the season, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and played in the minors through the 1980 season. Used a lot as a pinch-runner, he appeared in 64 games, garnering 74 plate appearances, for a .214 average with no homers, two RBIs and 11 runs scored.

Topps did not reward him with a card, but Gio at When Topps Had (Base)Balls created one. Once again, the Maestro beat me to it. Even though I didn't make it, I wanted to feature it and highlight Gio's great work. He has created hundreds of "missing" cards/

Goodbye, Good Luck and Thank You Taylor Edwards

Athletes Unlimited catcher Taylor Edwards announced her retirement. It's a sad announcement for softball fans.

After starring at Nebraska, Taylor and her twin Tatum played National Pro Fastpitch with the Pennsylvania Rebellion before joining the Chicago Bandits, where they helped the team to a championship. Tatum retired, while Taylor went on to play for a couple other teams. When Athletes Unlimited started, I was happy to see Taylor in the new league.

I interviewed Taylor several times during her career. One that made me particularly proud happened in Akron. After predicting her as the star f the game, Taylor belted two home runs and gave me a postgame interview. Interviews aside, Taylor has always been one of the kindest players I ever met. In fact, the whole Edwards family is great. Whether it was an interview, postgame photo, ticket holder event or anything else, Taylor always had time for me and always had a smile on her face.

The game is better for people like Taylor. She was a great player and an even better person.

I don't know what plans Taylor has. Hopefully, she will be around softball, maybe even a return visit to Rosemont.

No matter what though, I wish her a lot of luck and happiness. Thank you, Taylor!

 Taylor Edwards and me in Rosemont, IL-Summer 2022.

Talking Travel with David McGuffin

David McGuffin's Exploring Europe has educated folks about the joys of Europe. From out of the way spots to main cities, McGuffin covers all of Europe.

I had the pleasure of chatting with McGuffin to learn about his career and Europe. McGuffin's passion is evident and his knowledge runs deep.

Our interview is at Talking Travel with David McGuffin. While you are there, please subscribe to the Global Traveler YouTube page.

Happy Birthday, Big Money

Today is my nephew's birthday. Big Money adds another year to his life resume.

I have written a lot about Matt. He's been more than a nephew. He's been a great friend and a major contributor to Johngy's Beat. In the early days of this site, Matt helped with so many things.

One of Matt's biggest moments came at Blizzard Brawl in Wisconsin. We had front row seats. When wrestler Billy Gunn walked out, Matt struck his pose and the photog got it. That picture was used all over wrestling sites. I still see it pop up. It's classic Matt.

Now Matt is married with two beautiful kids, but he still contributes ideas and material on occasion. Nop matter what though, Matt has cemented himself in Johngy's Beat history as a true Hall of Famer. More importantly, he is a Hall of Famer person.

Happy birthday, Big Money! Enjoy your day.

Matt and Billy Gunn in Waukesha, WI-December 2013.

Shiny Hardware: LFL Legends Cup

I featured the Legends Football League Legends Cup a while back, but this is a special picture. I had to go all the way to Los Angeles, California to get this picture on the field with the Legends Football League Legends Cup. What a trip it was though.

Jack and I flew out to LA and hung with the Chicago Bliss prior to the game. How often do you get to be on a pro field, let alone before a championship game? We watched the game from the press box and from the end zone. It was an amazing experience.

I took a picture with the Legends Cup prior to the game, but everyone knew the Bliss would win it. After the game, it was pandemonium.

I will always appreciate Coach Keith Hac, his tsaff, all the players and Jack for this great season. It's always a thrill to cover a championship season. 

The LFL title Cup in Los Angeles, CA-September 2017.

Friend Encounters: Ted Simmons and Dennis

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

My Wisconsin friend Dennis is back. That probably means he is with a Wisconsin athlete.

This time, it is Ted Simmons, one of my all-time favorites. A recent Hall of Fame inductee, Simba started with the St. Louis Cardinals, but had several solid years with the Brewers in the middle of his career. He finished with the Atlanta Braves.

One of my first book reports in grade school was on Ted Simmons. It wasn't really a book. My friend Tommy and I skirted the system and reviewed Baseball Digest. It was really just so we could draw the covers. Yes, we actually made covers for our book reports for our own amusement.

Any back to Dennis. He is another of my convention pals. I really only see him a couple times a year. It's always good though.

Unfortunately, I did not see him at this convention. I am envious of him meeting Simmons. I met him once years ago, but it was an over the table deal. I did get a full photo with his statue in St. Louis, but that's not the same.

Ted Simmons and Dennis in Milwaukee, WI-May 2025.

Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris

Tomorrow, TKO and the WWE present Clash in Paris, the last PPV (or PLE) under the current system. Moving forward, WWE programming, including PPVs will move to different platforms at a much higher cost.

On Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris, my podcast partner Tommy Else and I do our usual analysis of the matches and make our predictions. Tommy has a three win lead on me this year and a two win lifetime lead. With about 250 predictions over five years, that is pretty close, but kudos to Tommy for his edge.

On this special Pinfalls though, we spend the first half discussing the new WWE arrangement and discussing the future of Pinfalls. This will be our last WWE PPV predictions show, as we firmly believe in #boycottWWE, Pinfalls will continue in some way.

For now, make your predictions and watch Pinfalls: WWE Clash in Paris to see ours. Enjoy the show and let us know your thoughts.

Kim Ng and Athletes Unlimited

Athletes Unlimited debuted in 2021 with four women's pro sports leagues. Although they recently dropped lacrosse, the volleyball, basketball and softball leagues are going strong.

The softball league actually expanded to another softball league. Unlike the usual AU leagues based on individual points and one singular champ, the new league plays under traditional rules.

AU made big news when they announced Kim Ng as Commissioner of AU SB. A real legend and pioneer, Ng was the first women to be named General Manager of a Major League Baseball team when the Miami Marlins hired her in 2020.

Joining AU in 2024, Ng brought instant credibility and name recognition to the upstart league. Ng has been highly visible during her time with AU.

Despite her being around a lot, I had to work hard to get a picture with her. I seemingly always just missed her. At the 2025 Season Opener, I finally had the opportunity to get my picture.

Go to auprosports.com for more info on Athletes Unlimited. Check back here for my recurring coverage.

Kim Ng and me in Rosemont, IL-June 2025.

The Return of Mr. Ricolo

At Elk Grove Rotary Fest, the opening bits of I Was Made for Lovin' You by Kiss rang out and the crowd erupted because we knew what that meant. Mr. Ricolo was back!

Ricolo is a longtime ring announcer on the independent wrestling scene. I don't know if anyone has been active longer, but nobody does it better than Ricolo.

In recent years, Ricolo has experienced health issues. After several hospital stays, a liver transplant, lots of rehab and more, Ricolo looks and sounds great.

As I have written previously, Ricolo is one of the very first folks on the inside who helped me get my first interviews in wrestling. His family has been awesome to me. Reguular wrestling fans know his family, although I will keep kayfabe (secret) about it all.

Despite ridiculous heat and humidity, Ricolo stayed strong, announcing throughout the show. The voice, energy and professionalism were completely back.

I am happy to see Ricolo doing well. I am grateful for his help and his friendship. Long live Ricolo!

Mr. Riccolo and me in Elk Grove Village, IL-July 2025.